Petrelis Files

Pelosi Vid: Hoping for Moratorium
on Don't Ask/Don't Tell

My friend Bill Wilson, a longtime gay advocate and community photographer, last June attended an event with First Lady Michelle Obama and got her to say a few things about repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Yesterday, Bill was at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's appearance at the Commonwealth Club on Market Street, and he managed to get her to say a few comments about gays in the military and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as she was leaving the club.

Bill wanted to know if there will be a repeal of the ban on openly gay soldiers by the end of the current legislative session, and he recorded the exchange:



And here is a rough transcript of the brief exchange:

Speaker Pelosi: Yes. I’m very excited about it. In the meantime I'm hoping we can have a moratorium on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and that pretty soon we'll be able to have it be removed.

Bill Wilson: And also ENDA?

Speaker Pelosi: ENDA? Hopefully it will be soon.

From her lips to President Obama's ears! Thanks, Bill, for being at the Commonwealth Club and asking the Speaker about important gay issues. May she soon exert leadership to making the moratorium on gay discharges a reality, along with a vote on ENDA.