So, there were 5 Republicans who voted to repeal DADT, but one of them was a major surprise- Ron Paul. What prompted this guy, who has been a supporter of DADT since its inception, decide to side with the Democrats? He heard from his constituents!

Let me say that again: he heard from his constituents.

“I have received several calls and visits from constituents who, in spite of the heavy investment in their training, have been forced out of the military simply because they were discovered to be homosexual,” Paul said Friday. “To me, this seems like an awful waste. Personal behavior that is disruptive should be subject to military discipline regardless of whether the individual is heterosexual or homosexual. But to discharge an otherwise well-trained, professional, and highly skilled member of the military for these reasons is unfortunate and makes no financial sense.”

I don’t mean to suggest that changing everyone’s mind will be this easy, but the truth is the best way to get our elected officials to vote in favor of legislation that benefits LGBT constituents, is to meet with them, and express how the legislation will make a difference in your life. The more often that an official hears from his or her own constituents about the real world ramifications of legislation it helps.

And this works for every level of government! This story is about an item of federal legislation, but the state level is probably the one where meetings with your senator or representative can be easiest to set up and completed.

Elected officials don’t really respond well to being called names or told that something is the right way or the wrong way. But, when you tell your own story- when you talk about how something will impact you or your loved ones, you make a difference.

Right Now – Ron Paul: Constituents changed my mind on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.