The doors at the D.C. Armed Forces Recruitment Office were shut for two openly gay students attempting to enlist Tuesday morning.
The office doors of the recruitment center were locked at 10:30 a.m. Posted office hours stated that they would be open. The two students were protesting the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy by trying to enter the recruitment office and enlist while announcing their homosexuality.
The protest was organized by the Right to Serve campaign, a gay-rights movement focusing on the U.S. military's policy of not accepting openly gay recruits.
"An Army man remarked to me that (the Navy's recruitment officers) aren't there half the time, but that wasn't the case yesterday, and I don't believe that's the case today," said Alexandra Douglas-Barrera, one of the two openly gay students attempting to enlist.
A recruitment officer at the naval recruitment office refused comment Tuesday on why the building was closed during the demonstration.
Mandy Craig, the other student trying to enlist, and Douglas-Barrera said they were especially frustrated because lights were on and voices could be heard from inside the Navy's recruitment office's locked door, but there was no response after knocking several times.
About 25 student supporters, including students from GW, Georgetown, University of Maryland, American and George Mason, staged a protest in the lobby of the recruitment office after Craig and Douglas-Barrera were turned away.
This type of reaction from the military is not uncommon, said sophomore Amy Dorfman, advocacy chair for Allied for Pride - GW's student organization advocating rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning individuals.
"They had about 75 people protesting in New York for the same campaign last week, and the recruitment center completely closed down for the day," Dorfman said.
Allied for Pride attended the protest because of its belief that everyone should have an equal opportunity to serve, Dorfman said.
The office doors of the recruitment center were locked at 10:30 a.m. Posted office hours stated that they would be open. The two students were protesting the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy by trying to enter the recruitment office and enlist while announcing their homosexuality.
The protest was organized by the Right to Serve campaign, a gay-rights movement focusing on the U.S. military's policy of not accepting openly gay recruits.
"An Army man remarked to me that (the Navy's recruitment officers) aren't there half the time, but that wasn't the case yesterday, and I don't believe that's the case today," said Alexandra Douglas-Barrera, one of the two openly gay students attempting to enlist.
A recruitment officer at the naval recruitment office refused comment Tuesday on why the building was closed during the demonstration.
Mandy Craig, the other student trying to enlist, and Douglas-Barrera said they were especially frustrated because lights were on and voices could be heard from inside the Navy's recruitment office's locked door, but there was no response after knocking several times.
About 25 student supporters, including students from GW, Georgetown, University of Maryland, American and George Mason, staged a protest in the lobby of the recruitment office after Craig and Douglas-Barrera were turned away.
This type of reaction from the military is not uncommon, said sophomore Amy Dorfman, advocacy chair for Allied for Pride - GW's student organization advocating rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning individuals.
"They had about 75 people protesting in New York for the same campaign last week, and the recruitment center completely closed down for the day," Dorfman said.
Allied for Pride attended the protest because of its belief that everyone should have an equal opportunity to serve, Dorfman said.
