NewsWrap for the week ending September 24, 2011

SUMMARY

Final Minutes - Countdown celebrations in LGBT venues across the country culminating at the stroke of midnight on September 20th cheer the official repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the 18-year-old U.S. military policy that kept lesbian and gay service members in the closet …

Dear Dad - YouTube video of a private stationed at an Air Force base in Germany coming out to his father in Alabama on the day of repeal gets more than two million views …

He Who Waits - a gay World War II veteran wins a decades-long battle to have his discharge officially changed from "undesirable" to "honorable" …

A Few Good Queers - Marine recruiters make U.S. military history by visiting an LGBT center in Tulsa, Oklahoma to sign up new enlistees …

I Was A Male War Bride - a justice of the peace in Vermont declares a gay lieutenant "officially out" as he pronounces the Naval Academy graduate legally married to his longtime partner seconds after midnight on the day of repeal …

Now to Win the Peace - the Obama administration fights an effort to get equal separation pay for gays and lesbians honorably discharged under Don't Ask Don't Tell, another lawsuit to formally declare the policy unconstitutional …

Let's Jail the Hero - the "fierce advocate's" team also opposes a "vindictive prosecution" defense allowed by a federal judge hearing "failure to obey a lawful police order" charges against military equality advocate Lt. Dan Choi for chaining himself to the White House fence to protest Don't Ask Don't Tell before its Congressional repeal …

Best Wishes, Despite the Above - President Obama himself does issue a statement hailing the demise of the policy and briefly voices support for gays and lesbians around the world during his speech the following day at the U.N. General Assembly …

The Prop 8 Shore - a federal judge allows the release of video recordings of last year's landmark Proposition 8 trial – though his decision will almost certainly be appealed …

Equally Protected - a state judge in Alaska rules that lesbian and gay couples are entitled to the same senior citizen and disabled veteran property tax exemptions as the state's heterosexual couples …

Long Engagement - government officials in the U.K. say they're planning initial discussions on full civil marriage equality legislation in March 2012 with an enactment goal of 2015 …

Leaning on Labor - Tasmania's lower house of parliament passes a resolution urging the Australian federal government to open civil marriage to same-gender couples …

Lynch Pin - "out" Emmy winner and host of this year's telecast Jane Lynch peppers her comments with lesbian references throughout the ceremony, including the lavish opening musical number, during which she slyly discusses recent social progress and the battles yet to be won with the cast of the 1960s era-set Mad Men ….

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