Dear Daniel, Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" requires strong, decisive actions from our President and Congress, which means that our community and allies must put the pressure on and keep it on. This week, the message from our community was clear: the time for repeal is here, and we hold our leaders accountable for delivering it. Earlier this week, General David Petraeus, the Commander responsible for our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, declared that the time has come to consider changing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. In addition, two accomplished veterans, Major Michael Almy and Lieutenant Junior Grade Jenny Kopfstein, provided the Senate Armed Service Committee with compelling testimony about how Don't Ask, Don't Tell failed them. Unfortunately, however, we were appalled by the committee testimony of former NATO commander General John J. Sheehan. General Sheehan, who only spent 3 of his 35 years of service under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, made the baseless claim that the presence of openly lesbian and gay service members in the Dutch army led to the massacre of Muslims in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1995. This groundless claim was not only an insult to a U.S. ally, but also a disservice to our national debate on a serious policy issue. We can make good laws and policies with truth; lies have no place in lawmaking. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee and a supporter of repeal, rejected General Sheehan's assertions and fought back against his baseless claims during the hearing. The Dutch ambassador to the U.S. also set the record straight and gave openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) service members the respect that they deserve by saying, "I take pride in the fact that lesbians and gays have served openly and with distinction in the Dutch military forces." Health care reform is at the top of Congress's agenda this week, as lawmakers consider the Senate-passed version of reform. HRC has been lobbying for important health care protections for our community, and saw them included in the House bill passed last fall. We are deeply disappointed that the House, in taking up the Senate-passed bill this week in the reconciliation process, will leave these important provisions –like ending the unfair taxation on domestic partner benefits— behind. Like all communities, we expect Congress to make the system better for us. We work as hard and contribute as much as every other American, but we face severe disparities in health care. While we believe the health reform bill will help all Americans, including LGBT people, and should pass, we will not stop pushing Congress for the policies that we need. HRC partners with civil rights organizations to promote matters of social justice that reach beyond the LGBT community. A free and just society does not happen when communities are isolated from one another. We are all interdependent, and no one group can achieve our goals alone. Every community is stronger when their neighbors have equal rights. As LGBT Americans work for equal rights, we rely upon our allies to stand with us and make change happen. At the same time, we commit to promote the wellbeing of all communities. This Sunday, March 21st, the Human Rights Campaign staff, members and volunteers will rally side by side with our many coalition partners in support of comprehensive immigration reform. March for America will bring together tens of thousands including labor unions, religious organizations, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, as well as activists, families and individuals, immigrants and U.S. nationals alike. Please join the HRC family as we unite with other civil rights organizations linked to our common struggle for equality with the immigrant community. Our partnerships for equality also include a census project. Starting next week, HRC steering committees and volunteers will be working to promote Census participation in Latino/a communities through community assistance forums, canvassing efforts, social networking sites and other online media. This Census marks the first time that the Census Bureau will be recognizing both same-sex married and unmarried couples. To learn more, please visit www.ourfamiliescount.org and check out this YouTube video featuring the faces and voices of a diverse group of LGBT people. Also see HRC Backstory for more. Sincerely, Joe Solmonese President, Human Rights Campaign