Under "Don't ask, don't tell," the Pentagon discharged 2-4 service members every day for being gay. Some were subjects of witch hunts. Others faced criminal...

Under "Don't ask, don't tell," the Pentagon discharged 2-4 service members every day for being gay. Some were subjects of witch hunts. Others faced criminal charges. Many endured harassment, assault and threats. Mission Possible takes readers behind the scenes as Servicemembers Legal Defense Network lawyers repeatedly rushed to the aid of LGBT clients and demanded justice from commanders and Congress.

Repealing the ban on open service by lesbian, gay and bisexual service members was a stunning reversal of a law enacted just 17 years prior. It remains the most significant pro-lesbian, gay, bisexual legislation Congress has passed. How did it happen?

C. Dixon Osburn's Mission Possible describes the strategy that he and Michelle Benecke, co-founders of SLDN devised to overcome impossible odds. It's a story about the politics of fear and the consequences of a government that tries to muzzle its citizens. It is also a searing, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant story of the power of coming out, building a movement, and political savvy. Mission Possible shows that overcoming the odds is both possible and essential.

Author: C. Dixon Osburn
Publisher: C. Dixon Osburn
Published: 08/21/2021
Pages: 520
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.52lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.05d
ISBN: 9781737482413


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2022 pg. 176

About the Author
Osburn, C. Dixon: - C. Dixon Osburn was co-founder and executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network that led the successful effort to repeal Don't ask, don't tell. A noted expert on civil and human rights, national and international security, and democracy, Dixon has served as Director of Law & Security at Human Rights First, Executive Director at the Center for Justice and Accountability and as a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Dixon received his AB with distinction from Stanford University and JD/MBA from Georgetown. He lives in Washington, D.C.