UU's join with others at two White House rallies End "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Several MVUC Members marched to the White House June 27th to urge President Obama to End "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." On the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, MVUC members Ken Pilkenton, Lynne Kennedy, Al Robbert, Annie Mechanic, Birgit Robbert, and Joan Darrah joined the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and 265 veterans, service members and supporters in a march to the White House. The 265 marchers represented the number of service members discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, “since President Obama and the new Congress were sworn in.
Anti-Torture Rally
On June 11, representatives of Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church led by Rev. Rev. Kate Walker participated in an interfaith rally at the White House, calling on the Obama administration to appoint a special commission to investigate torture abuses. The rally was organized by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and attended by representatives of over thirty religious organizations and churches. Rev. Bill Sinkford was one of the speakers who addressed the rally. After the rally, religious leaders met with representatives of the administration.
Photo: From left to right, Emily Francomano, Georgia Pourchot and Rev. Kate Walker