A group of thirteen activists will appear in federal court on Friday in response to charges filed against them during a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” protest held in November of last year. Members of the group, which includes gay rights advocates, a Catholic priest and gay and lesbian veterans banned from military service under the measure, chained themselves to the fence surrounding the White House lawn in order to, as one participant stated, “apply some pressure” on the administration to end the policy.
The protesters refused to plead guilty to charges of violating the orders of a federal law enforcement officer. They now face a maximum 6-month jail sentence if convicted in court. Bill Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, noted that this the first time since at least 2006 that protesters have faced this charge.
Mara Boyd is a 29-year-old former Air Force officer and one of the thirteen protesters facing charges. She was discharged from service in 2003 for violating DADT and is eager to see President Obama’s recent movements to end the policy pushed forward.
Regarding her involvement in the protest, Boyd explains “I was tired of empty promises and delays and politicians – including our President – telling me and other gay veterans and service members to just wait your turn, that other things are more pressing.”
An end to the ban on openly gay military service members is scheduled to go into effect once the Pentagon trains forces in related changes to personnel policy and receives executive approval. Once this approval is granted, Boyd intends to re-join the Air Force.
“I want to finish serving my country,” says Boyd, who insists she will reenlist “as soon as I can walk into a recruiting office.”
