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Resolution
File Number: 09-00815
City Hall
3500 Pan American
Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
Final Action Date:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING PRESIDENT
BARACK OBAMA AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ADOPT THE
MILITARY READINESS ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2009 (H.R. 1283), WHICH
ELIMINATES THE "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" POLICY AND, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, ADOPTS A POLICY OF NON-DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF
SEXUAL ORIENTATION WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES;
DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A CERTIFIED COPY OF THIS
RESOLUTION TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
NANCY PELOSI, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID, SENATORS BILL
NELSON AND MEL MARTINEZ AND THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY UNITED
STATES CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION.
WHEREAS, service in the United States Armed Forces by lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans
has been at question for many years, leading to the creation of the National Defense Authorization Act
of 1994 (Public Law 103-160), more commonly known as the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue,
Don't Harass" or simply the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy; and
WHEREAS, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has found that notwithstanding a policy
of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" nearly 10,000 servicemembers were discharged in its first ten years,
including some 800 with "critical skills," of whom, 322 were linguists; and
WHEREAS, the United States Armed Forces is currently unable to meet its recruiting goals, thus
forcing National Guard and Reserve members to serve extended tours of duty, while at the same time
highly qualified and patriotic gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans are prevented from serving solely
because of their sexual orientation; and
WHEREAS, troop levels put national security at risk through lack of personnel, inadequate training,
increased troop fatigue and stress, and decreased morale; and
WHEREAS, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy also affects national security and military readiness in
more insidious ways, including harassment, violence, secrecy, and lack of confidentiality in medical
care, all of which undermine unit cohesion; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Defense has issued four reports since 1957 examining the
presence of lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers in the Armed Forces, with findings indicating
that these servicemembers do not pose security risks or impair military readiness, but rather perform
their duties as well as heterosexual servicemembers; and
WHEREAS, lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers have served, and are serving, bravely and
honorably in all branches of the United States Armed Forces and in all locations, national and
international, numbering one million veterans and 65,000 active duty personnel, according to the
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File Number: 09-00815
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network; and
WHEREAS, top United States national security agencies do not discriminate against their
personnel based on sexual orientation, rather, the Department of Homeland Security, the Central
Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the
National Security Agency all allow personnel to serve openly, leaving the Armed Forces as the only
agency in the federal government that continue to use sexual orientation to discriminate in
employment decisions; and
WHEREAS, many of America's allies, including Israel, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom,
allow lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers to serve openly in their militaries, and the United
Kingdom now actively recruit these servicemembers; and
WHEREAS, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network finds that American taxpayers spend
nearly $26 million a year training replacements for servicemembers discharged under the "Don't Ask,
Don't Tell" policy, with unknown costs associated with the actual discharge of these servicemembers
and non -monetary costs related to troop cohesion and low morale associated with the loss of unit
members; and
WHEREAS, national security and military readiness will be best served by allowing every willing
and able American to serve in the United States Armed Forces, without regard to sexual orientation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA;
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by
reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section..
Section 2. The Miami City Commission urges President Barack Obama and the United
States Congress to adopt the Military Readiness Act of 2009 (H.R. 1283), which replaces the
"Don't' Ask, Don't Tell" policy and, among other things, adopts a policy of non-discrimination
on the basis of sexual orientation within the United States Armed Forces.
Section 3. The City Clerk is directed to transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to the President
Barack Obama, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senators Bill
Nelson and Mel Martinez and the Miami -Dade County United States Congressional Legislative
Delegation.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption and signature of
the Mayor.(1)
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESSte
JULIE O. BRU
CITY ATTORNEY
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File Number.' 09-00815
Footnotes:
{1} If the Mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at the end of ten calendar days
from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall become
effective immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission.
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