Five advocacy groups placed 12,000 flags on Washington's National Mall on Nov. 30 in an effort to recognize the 12,000 men and women who have been forced out of the military because of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which excludes gay and lesbian people from serving openly.

The three-day tribute, "12,000 Flags for 12,000 Patriots," was organized by the Human Rights Campaign, Log Cabin Republicans, Servicemembers United, Liberty Education Forum, and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network in hopes of showing that the policy, enacted in 1993 under President Bill Clinton, wastes valuable resources available to the U.S. military.

The Rev. John F. Gundlach, a retired Navy chaplain and the UCC's minister for governmental chaplaincies, offered the prayers of the people and the benediction at a Dec. 2 prayer service held at the National Mall.

"We have gathered here this weekend to remember those who have suffered discrimination and abuse because of their sexual orientation," Gundlach prayed. "We remember the 12,000 who in recent years have been found unworthy to serve, who contributions to the common good have been rejected."

Gundlach told United Church News that the 12,000 flags were a painful reminder of the military's lingering discriminatory policy and the many lives and careers that have been adversely affected by it.

"Each flag was a representation to me of a soldier in uniform, standing in formation, who was removed from active duty because they were gay or lesbian," Gundlach said.

In a press release, HRC president Joe Solmonese said, "Every year, thousands of highly skilled gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members are discharged simply because of who they are. We must repeal this discriminatory policy and ensure that the U.S. military can recruit and retain the best and the brightest troops regardless of their sexual orientation."

Fifty-five percent of Americans support repealing the policy, according to a recent Harris poll. A December 2006 Zogby poll of soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan found that 73 percent of soldiers were "comfortable…in the presence of gays" and that only 37 percent were opposed to repealing the policy.