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My name is Lawson Stuart and I am the Chair of the Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic
Party.
In the history of our nation, we have always held our fighting forces in high regard. We
have built an entire department of the national and state governments to ensure that they
are continuously provided their benefits and given the many elements of our gratitude expressed
through education, health care, housing, jobs and much more.
While these things need work and always can get better, the Veterans know that the effort
is there to ensure they are cared for. But for an alarmingly large group of Veterans,
there are no benefits. There are no opportunities. And there are no examples of our gratitude.
Anti-homosexual policies, such as Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the policies before it; have
long been used to take the service of women and men alike, and spurn it from the records
in our halls of heroes. In the place of honor and gratitude, humiliation and scorn was given
to them, regardless of the many ways they had contributed to the great nation that they
served while in uniform.
In small part, victory came with the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the overturning
of DOMA. Now, our military service members serve openly, and are no longer tasked with
defending freedom without fully enjoying it.
But the mission to right these wrongs is not over. There are literally thousands of Veterans
across the nation who have been discharged under these policies and are denied benefits
before they can even apply for them. The VA, due to these discharges, is forced to look
past the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, past the homelessness, past the joblessness, past
the poor health, and past the lack of education and only see homosexuality.
Anyone who served this country knows that homosexuality is not a factor on the battlefield.
In fact, you never saw evidence of it amongst the courage, the sacrifice, and the sacred
honor. Our honored fallen are no less the greatest example of love for this country
simply because their other love was someone of the same gender.
We do not sort heroes by Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, Wiccan and Muslim. We no longer
sort our heroes by the color of their skin. Even recently, we have taken large steps to
ensure we no longer sort our heroes by their gender. The time to stop sorting heroes by
their sexuality is now.
Dr. King had a dream where he envisioned a country that no longer judged people by the
color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I am not alone in the dream
that our heroes will one day be judged by their sacrifices alone.
Today, the Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party, with the amazing leadership
from our Committee on LGBT Veterans, proudly launches Operation: Return to Valor.
Operation: Return to Valor will bring together the many non-profits and government entities
fighting to overturn all discharges pertaining to a service member's sexuality and thus preventing
them from receiving their benefits as United States Veterans.
As a political organization, this Caucus is uniquely positioned to bring to the table
an element that cannot be found in non-profits and government organizations. We do not share
the same limits or run into any of the walls.
Therefore, it shall be the mission of Operation: Return to Valor to ensure that once walls
are arrived at, and once these amazing organizations can go no further, we will be there to take
up that flag of blue stars and rainbow stripes and continue it forward until it flies atop
the hill of victory.
Our LGBT Veterans have waited too long for their return to valor. Many have died before
ever even getting to experience it. Many more hid their status as a Veteran, hiding behind
the government-imposed wall that placed yet another part of who they are into the closet.
My sister and brother Veterans who are LGBT, I am asking once again for you to come out.
Stand with us and take your rightful place at our side, announce to all that you are
a proud United States Veterans regardless of what you have been given or denied as a
label, and work together with us, until all of you are returned to valor.