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Action Alert from the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Commission of the
Democratic Socialists of America.  Reported via the mailing
list DSA-LGB-request@midway.uchicago.edu

You may reproduce this information freely provided you credit
the source.
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ADDRESSES & PHONES FOR SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE MEMBERS

March 29, 1993

The Senate Armed Services Committee begins hearings today
on relaxing the current ban on lesbian, bisexual, and gay
people serving in the U.S. armed forces.

Scan the list of committee members below to determine whether
one or both of your Senators are on the committee.  If they
are, pick up the phone and call their office immediately;
let them know that simple justice and fairness demand that
gay, lesbian, and bisexual people be allowed to serve their
country by serving in the U.S. military.

Even if neither of your Senators are on the committee you
can still send this message to Sen. Nunn, who chairs the
committee.

Support for the current ban has been based on two main
premises: (1) that gay people undermine morale and unit
cohesion, and (2) that closeted gay and lesbian people may
pose security risks.  Both arguments have been refuted
by studies commissioned by the Department of Defense's
PERSEREC group.  In addition, most of the U.S.'s NATO
allies allow gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve
in their armed forces with few problems.  Finally, the
military undermines its own objections by slowing down the
process of discharging gays and lesbians during wartime,
when morale and cohesion should be most important.  This
happened most recently during the Persian Gulf war.

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Addresses and phone extensions for committee members follow
below.  When writing a Senator, use the room number below
and the address:

Senator X
U.S. Senate, room Y
Washington, DC 20510

Phone extensions given below should be prefixed by 202-224;
for the address and phone number of members of Congress not
given below, call the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121 or
the House switchboard at 202-225-3121.

Democrats:

Sam Nunn (Georgia), room SD-303, x-3521
Jim Exon (Neb.), room SH-528, x-4224
Carl Levin (Mich.), room SR-459, x-6221
Edward Kennedy (Mass.), room SR-315, x-4543
Jeff Bingaman (N.M.), room SH-524, x-5221
John Glenn (Ohio), room SH-503, x-3353
Richard Shelby (Alabama), room SH-313, x-5744
Robert Byrd (W.V.), room SH-311, x-3954
Bob Graham (Fla.), room SD-241, x-3041
Charles Robb (Virginia), room SR-493, x-4024
Joseph Lieberman (Conn.), room SH-502, x-4041

Republicans:

Strom Thurmond (S.C.), room SR-217, x-5972
John Warner (Virginia), room SR-225, x-2023
William Cohen (Maine), room SH-322, x-2523
John McCain (Arizona), room SR-111, x-2235
Trent Lott (Miss.), room SR-487, x-6253
Daniel Coats (Ind.), room SR-404, x-5623
Robert Smith (N.H.), room SD-332, x-2841
Dirk Kempthorne, (Idaho), room SD-B40-3, x-6142
Lauch Faircloth (N.C.), room SH-716, x-3154