Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Sgt. Eric Alva among participants of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act signing

Today the President and the Vice President delivered remarks and the President signed into law the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 in a ceremony at the Department of the Interior. The audience was made up of approximately 500 attendees, including Administration officials, Members of Congress and key advocates and stakeholders.

Among the participants of the signing was Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva who was the first American wounded in the war in Iraq. On March 21, 2003, he was traveling in Iraq in a convoy to Basra with his battalion when he stepped on a landmine, breaking his right arm and damaging his leg so badly that it needed to be amputated. Alva was awarded a Purple Heart and received a medical discharge from the military. Alva has been working with the Human Rights Campaign to speak out against the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy banning lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans from serving in the armed forces.

Alva was a special guest at this year's HRC MileHighGala where I took this photo of him (on the right) with local businessman Adam Thodey.