By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Las Vegas is part of a six city tour highlighting the efforts to repeal, “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.” Right now, there are close to 7,000 gay and lesbian former or active service members in the Las Vegas area.
For the first time in 15 years, lawmakers are once again faced with the issue. James Davis was in the Air Force for 20 years. He served in Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, fighting along other service men and woman.
James Davis is gay and now fighting another front — the fight for equality. The walls of James Davis' law office tell the story of this decorated war veteran. His last mission – Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“We told pilots where to drop their bombs and when they had authority to drop their bombs,” said Davis.
This former Air Force captain joined the military following in his father footsteps, a decorated general. But the military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy kept him isolated.
“It doesn't allow you to live your life openly. If you tell your commander you are gay, you can be discharged,” said Davis.
Davis says when this happens, service men and women are given a form that by law they must present to future employers.
“And on the bottom of the form, it will say honorably discharged – homosexual,” said Davis.
Aubrey Sarvis is with the Service Members Legal Defense Network; a group who offers free legal service to active gay and lesbian military members.
“You have a key player here in the debate, and that's majority leader Harry Reid, and also Shelly Berkley. She is a co-sponsor of the bill to repeal “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” said Sarvis.
But Davis says this is one battle that gay men and women in the service shouldn't have to fight.
“When we got called to duty and go to war – when we got called into combat, that's what we focus on and do our job. It doesn't matter who we wake up with,” said Davis.
And this is why Davis wants service members to have to stop living in two worlds while fighting for one country. A bill to repeal the policy is now working its way through Congress. Hearings are expected later this year.
Tuesday evening at the Gay and Lesbian Center, a town hall meeting is taking place to help gather support for the repeal here in Southern Nevada.
Email your comments to Reporter Chris Saldana.
