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This transcript is going to be quick & dirty because I have a meeting in 30 minutes. None of the names are spelled correctly, I’m sorry.  (I’m typing this part at the end and I have to run.)  If someone has the time to clean this up, I’d really appreciate it.

Cleaned, I hope! (Extraneous Us were left in.)

This is a black & white video with Lady Gaga sitting in front of a US-flag, looking very serious and speaking directly to the camera.

Transcript:

To my fellow Americans, the Senate, Senators John McCain, Arizona, Mitch McConnell, Kentucky, James Inhofe, Oklahoma, Jeff Sessions, Alabama, and youth all over the world who are watching:

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is a law that was created in 1993 that prevents gays from serving openly in the military.  Since then, 14,000 Americans have been discharged from the Armed Forces, refused the right to serve their country, and sent home, regardless of honourable service or how valuable they may have been to their units.  400 soldiers under President Obama’s administration alone were discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Advocacy by organizaions such as the SLDN, the Service Members Legal Defense Network, have shown the inconsistent and unconstitutional enforcement of this law.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell asks that serving gay and lesbian soldiers hide and keep private their sexual orientation, under the protection and the promise that the government will not ask them to tell or disclose their sexuality. SLDN’s advocacy proves that these soldiers are being searched, superiors are going through their emails and private belongings, calling family members and operating based on assumptions.  Ultimately, the law is being enforced using gay profiling.

And gay soldiers have become targets.

In short, not only is the law unconstitutional, but it’s not even being properly or fairly enforced by the government.  Our fight is a continuum of the ever-present equal rights movement.  Every day, we fight to abolish laws that harbour hatred and discrimination against all people.  Laws that infringe on our civil liberties, unfair laws that, like Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, were put in place to eliminate friction and violence but, in the end, only delay the process of ending this most serious prejudice.

I am here to be a voice for my generation, not the generation of the senators that are voting, but for the youth of this country, the generation that is affected by this law, and whose children will be affected.

We are not asking you to agree with or approve the moral implications of homosexuality.  We’re asking you to do your job, to protect the constitution.  As majority leader Harry Reid said, anyone who is willing to fight for this country should have the same civil opportunities to do so as anyone else.  It is my belief that no one person is more valuable than another.

Air Force Major Mike Almy was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell while serving 6 years in Iraq and a total of 13 years in the Air Force. I spent some time with him recently talking about his story with other soldiers.  He said to me, “During my time in the Air Force, when I fought for my country, I never identified myself as anything other than a soldier.”

Just like you, Senator McCain, a distinguished veteran who loves his country, Mike would have done anything during his time of duty to protect America.

Sergeant First Class, Army, Stacy Vasquez, after 12 years of service, was outed by the wife of a cadet to whom she gave negative reports based on his bad performance in the unit.  West Point Cadet Katie Miller opted to leave West Point Academy because she felt pressured to mask her identity in school  The most shocking discovery for me was to hear them all say how much they missed serving and protecting our nation, how they joined the Armed Forces because they believe in America.  

Senators, when you’re sending our men and women into war, when you’re sending our wives, husbands, sons and daughters into combat, will you honour their service?

Will you support repealing this law on Tuesday, and pledge to them that no American’s life is more valuable than another?

For those watching that would like to reach out to their senators and ask for their vote to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, you can log onto www.sldn.org/gaga or you can call 202-224-3121, like I’m going to do right now.

[Ringing] Hi, can I please be transferred to Chuck Schumer’s office? [More ringing.  It rings and rings and rings for maybe two minutes while Lady Gaga waits.]

[Busy Signal]

[Lady Gaga hits redial?]

Recorded Voice: Your call has been forwarded to an Automatic Voice Message system.  The mail box belonging to Senator Schumer’s office is full.  Good-bye.

Lady Gaga: I have called both of the senators that operate in my district.  I will not stop calling until I reach them and I can leave them this message.

I am a constituent of the Senator.  My name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, also known as Lady Gaga.

I am calling to ask the Senator to vote with Senators Harry Reid and Carl Levin to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and oppose John McCain’s shameless filibuster. We need to do this, for our Gay and Lesbian soldiers, and finally repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.  

Try calling after 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.  I’ll be on the phone too. Thank you. God Bless.

youburnsohard:

A message from Lady Gaga to the Senate. September 16, 2010. REPEAL DADT.

(Source: allwasteandvoid)