Kathy Griffin & DADT - Tonight on "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List"

The Tuesday, July 13th episode of Kathy Griffin’s “My Life on the D-List” will be dedicated to Kathy’s visit to Washington, DC earlier this year to advocate for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). At the end of tonight’s episode on BRAVO-TV, there will be a brief preview of next week’s show.

HRC tries to find ways to engage America in our work in many different ways, and thru a variety of channels. Our participation in this episode gives HRC a chance to get our message out to people who might not ordinarily be exposed to the organization or our work. While Kathy Griffin, My Life on the D List, is a comedic show, Kathy takes the repeal of DADT very seriously.

· Kathy Griffin’s show reaches over 1 million viewers every week. These are Americans whose mobilization will be critical to overturning DADT.

· A diverse coalition of Americans, ranging from Former Joint Chiefs Chairman John Shalikashvili to entertainer Kathy Griffin, favor DADT repeal. Kathy is an important and influential voice that will appeal to the many Americans who view her show just as General Shalikashvili’s opinion has no doubt changed many hearts and minds to advocate for repeal.

· Griffin’s commitment to our servicemen and women is well established. She has taken her irreverent brand of humor to American military installations both domestically and in war zones for years. She has never shied away from calling DADT what it is: an unjust law that must be repealed. Almost 14,000 dedicated servicemembers have been discharged under DADT since it was passed in 1993.

· The legislation that would repeal DADT is now headed to the U.S. Senate where it is expected to be considered sometime this summer. In late May, it was successfully voted on by the full U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

· In the lead up to these votes, HRC mobilized its membership nationwide to meet with their members of congress and key senators in six targeted states. Our efforts have resulted in: identifying 20,000 pro-repeal veterans; sending 350,000 emails and 30,000 handwritten communications to members of Congress; and arranging 1,000 grassroots lobby visits.