Many of those who were on the front lines of the fight for repeal have been invited to attend the signing ceremony, including Lt. Dan Choi, who famously gave his West Point class ring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, saying he would only take it back after repeal was done. Choi will be joined by his friends from GetEqual, founder Robin McGehee and Autumn Sandeen who where arrested along with him during a protest where they and others chained themselves to the White House fence.
What is significant about McGehee's invitation to the event is that GetEqual has been the object of so much criticism and animosity from Gay Inc. and its followers, who said they were too naive, they didn't know how things work inside the Beltway and that acts of civil disobedience and direct action are a waste of time. Today, McGehee and the rest of her small but dedicated team have the satisfaction that comes with success.
Of course there will also be the line up of the usual luminaries from HRC, who despite how much they've pissed off our community with their black tie fundraisers, have to be given their props for leading this effort for so long. Perhaps this victory, which they cannot take full credit for, will signal a change in the way Joe Solmonese and Co. work with other LGBT organizations.
Also attending this mornings event are a who's who of the LGBT blogosphere and representatives from Servicemembers United, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, openly gay Congressman Barney Frank, Senator Kirstin Gillibrand, who redefines the term "gay friendly" and Congressman Patrick Murphy, who wrote the House version on the repeal bill.
Stay tuned for more news as it happens.
CNN and C-SPAN3 will be airing the signing ceremony live. You can watch the live video stream online at the C-SPAN3 site.
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