The boards of directors of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and OutServe today announced the intent to combine the two organizations into a single organization by October 2012 with a new name and a newly configured board of directors led by a representative from each existing organization. In the intervening period, the boards and staff of both organizations will focus on unifying the two administratively, financially, and organizationally.
"SLDN
has enjoyed a close working relationship with OutServe and its leaders
from the beginning. Indeed, their voices, though anonymous at the time,
were an integral part of the fight to repeal the discriminatory 'Don't
Ask, Don't Tell' law. Since repeal, we've worked even more closely
together and in doing so, it has become more and more clear that our
shared mission - representing actively serving military and veterans, as
well as fighting to achieve full LGBT equality in the military - is
better accomplished by uniting the two organizations and working
together as one on behalf of the brave men and women of our armed
forces," said SLDN Board of Directors Co-Chair Mike Magee.
OutServe rose to
prominence after it began as an underground network of LGBT service
members connected via Facebook that now boasts more than 5,500 members
worldwide. During the fight to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT),
the group facilitated telling the stories of active duty service members
in the media and at the Pentagon, becoming a key link for the
Comprehensive Review Working Group that allowed the voices of those who
were serving in silence to be heard. Just a few weeks after DADT repeal,
OutServe hosted the first-ever conference of active duty LGBT service
members.
"This comes down to
mission first, just as it always is in the military. Both of these
organizations recognize that they are stronger and more effective
together. It is a great day for both organizations and for the LGBT
service members and veterans around the world, who need a strong,
unified voice speaking for them at the White House, on Capitol Hill, at
the Pentagon, and among the American people. What began as a simple
effort to tell our stories has grown into something we could never have
imagined, and today's announcement that OutServe and SLDN will combine
represents the next step in that evolution. Each organization brings its
own strengths to the fight for full LGBT military equality, and we are
stronger together," said Josh Seefried, co-founder and co-director of
OutServe.
Under the terms of
the agreement reached on Saturday by the two boards of directors, the
transaction will close when specific contingencies are removed, which
include outstanding legal, financial, and structural elements. The close
is expected at the next board meetings of the two groups, scheduled to
take place October 26-28 in Orlando, FL.
“We are enthusiastic
about the combination of these two vibrant and effective organizations
and looking forward to working together to provide the best
representation and services for the LGBT service members and veterans,
who have made so many sacrifices to serve our great nation,” said SLDN
Board of Directors Co-Chair April Heinze.
"The leadership of
OutServe and SLDN have come together in an unprecedented way to move the
ball forward on the mission of full LGBT military equality, and we
couldn't be more proud of this combined effort to serve the brave LGBT
men and women in our armed forces," said OutServe co-founder and
co-director Ty Walrod.