(Ft. Lauderdale, FL) Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) received the Dolphin Democrats’ Political Alliance Award on Saturday, October 24, 2009.  The Political Alliance Award is bestowed to an individual for his or her outstanding contributions and leadership in fostering good will between gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) members of the Democratic Party and the community at large.  Chartered by the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, the Dolphin Democrats promote the ideals of the Democratic Party, cultivate and campaign for candidates supportive of the GLBT community, and promote legislation and policies that strengthen the GLBT community.  Hastings made the following remarks at the awards ceremony:

“I would like to thank Michael Albetta, Ron Mills, and the entire Board of Directors of the Dolphin Democrats for conferring this great distinction on me.  In addition, I would also like to thank Julie Carson and Barbara Stuart for organizing this wonderful event.

“It is truly an honor to be accepting the Dolphin Democrats’ Political Alliance Award, and to share the stage tonight with my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and the rest of this year’s honorees.

“I applaud each and every one of you for all that you do for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community, the state of Florida, and our nation as a whole.

“I have spent my entire life fighting for equal rights for all Americans and am proof that you do not have to be gay to support gay rights.

“As a Member of Congress, I remain committed to ensuring equality for all Americans and take great pride in my 100 percent pro-equality voting record.

“I am a proud co-sponsor of virtually every piece of legislation introduced in the 111^th Congress that extends critical rights and protections to the GLBT community at home, in schools, in the workplace, within the health care system, and across international borders.

“I strongly support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), non-discrimination protection for LGBT employees (ENDA), and hate crimes prevention legislation (The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act).

“Last weekend, I was invited by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to honor Lt. Dan Choi with an award for his outstanding contributions to the GLBT equality movement at their 13^th Annual Miami Recognition Dinner.  As you all may know, Lt. Choi is a former Army officer turned GLBT activist because of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

“Since the law was implemented in 1994, over 13,000 brave and qualified service members like Lt. Choi have been lost to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and counting.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell hurts our troops, threatens our national security, and must be repealed now!

“I have sent two letters to President Obama, signed by 76 of my colleagues, as well as letters to Air Force Secretary Donley and Defense Secretary Gates, urging them to work together with Congress to establish a concrete timeline within which to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and to replace it with a policy of inclusion and non-discrimination.

“I offered an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations bill that would have prohibited the use of funds to investigate and discharge service members under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

“As former Congressman Barry Goldwater put it over 20 years ago, ‘You don't need to be straight to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight.’

“Two weeks ago, President Obama stated at a dinner hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, ‘I will end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’  My question to President Obama is, when?  When, Mr. President, do you intend to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?  The time is now to repeal this bigoted law once and for all.  I promise you that I will not give up on this effort until Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell goes the way of all those other discriminatory laws we’ve eliminated over the years.

“While the GLBT equality movement has made great strides in recent years, there are new challenges to equality.  We must set the standard for our nation’s schools.  If GLBT Americans do not have full rights and protections as adults, neither do GLBT students and youth.

“Earlier this month, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, an organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students, released a report entitled, ‘The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Middle School Students.’  Their study found that middle schools have become hostile environments for many GLBT students, even more so than high schools.  Derogatory and homophobic language from peers and staff alike are regular occurrences.  Nine in ten GLBT students experience verbal harassment and six in ten GLBT students experience physical harassment.

“I recently heard the story of 17-year-old Ceara Sturgis, an openly gay honor student at Wesson Attendance Center in Wesson, Mississippi.  Her high school has refused to publish her picture in the yearbook because she dons a tuxedo instead of a gown.  The ACLU of Mississippi has gotten involved in the hope that her picture will be included in time.

“We must strive to create an educational environment that is supportive of GLBT students and does not perpetuate discrimination and abuse based on sexual orientation and gender expression.

“I am often asked the question, ‘Why are you an advocate of GLBT equality?’  ‘What reasons do you have to support equal rights for gays and lesbians?’  To which I answer, ‘It is simply the right thing to do.’  This nation can only truly prosper when all of its citizens are guaranteed equal rights and protections under the law and in every state.

“Thank you, again, for this award and for your continued dedication.”

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings is Vice Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a senior member of the House Rules Committee, and Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission.