Mclean, U.S.A. – On July 27, 2012 Lynette Spano, founder of Stars, Stripes, & Hearts, announced that her organization is producing a national benefit concert in Washington, D.C. at the historic Warner Theater on October 15, 2012, in recognition and support of Latino/Hispanic American military service members and their families.

Spano, a Puerto Rican American, is among the most successful Latina businesswomen in America. As a way of giving back, she created the first ever online wall of honor, www.awarriorswall.org, where anyone can tweet a photo of a loved one serving in the military.

Her latest and most ambitious effort is the creation of Stars, Stripes, & Hearts, dedicated to raising funds through national benefit concerts in support of exceptional health and education-related charities that provide comprehensive and culturally competent support services to Latino/Hispanic military families impacted by the invisible wounds of war.

Her first concert will be held during National Hispanic Heritage Month. All proceeds from the Bandera y Corazones concert series will be donated to charitable organizations that provide relief to Latino/Hispanic service members and families impacted by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), depression and other invisible wounds of war. Latinos/Hispanics have higher rates of PTSD than any other ethnicity or race in America.

Although all proceeds from the concerts will be donated to charities that provide assistance to military veterans and families facing challenging circumstances, the concerts themselves will be a celebration – a celebration highlighting the strength, honor and commitment of our men and women in uniform and the vast contributions of Latinos and Hispanics serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Invitations to perform at this year’s concert have been extended to leading Latin recording artists, such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

“Latino/Hispanic families, statistically speaking, have suffered more than any other ethnicity in America during the recent military conflicts overseas,” says Spano. “However, no one has thanked them in a way that recognizes who they are, where they come from or how important they are to the strength, vitality and security of this great nation.”

For information, please visit http://www.starsstripesandhearts.org/ or e-mail StarsStripesandHearts@gmail.com.

Image Courtesy of  s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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Washington, U.S.A. - A week after President Obama announced his support for ending marriage discrimination against same-sex couples, Freedom to Marry and Service members Legal Defense Network (SLDN) announced  Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry, a new national campaign that will highlight the stories of military families harmed by the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The campaign launched with the release of an online video illustrating the real injury inflicted on gay and lesbian military families who, because of the federal government’s refusal to respect their marriages legally, are denied the support and protections that all other military families receive.

“Last week the President described how the stories of service members and their families made a difference in his decision to support the freedom to marry.  In deed, the faces and stories of military families impacted by the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act illustrate the unjust ways this law treats our nation’s most courageous patriots.

It’s unconscionable that we would ask American citizens to put their lives on the line for us in war zones while treating them and their families as second-class citizens at home.  All service members and their families provide the same service, take the same risks, and make the same sacrifices.  When it comes to recognition, support, and benefits, they must all be treated equally.  There cannot be two classes of service members,” said Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.

Because of the ‘gay exception’ created by DOMA, America’s legally married gay and lesbian couples are denied 1,100+ federal responsibilities and protections including Social Security survivors benefits, equal treatment under U.S. immigration laws, and the opportunity to take leave to care for a spouse.

“Many people assume that, with the repeal of ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” gay men and lesbians serving our country are now being treated fairly and equally, but that’s not the case.  We ended the ban on open military service for gay and lesbian Americans, but there is still a federal ban on treating married service members as what they are: married,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry.

“The so-called Defense of Marriage Act’s ’gay exception’ keeps the government in the business of discriminating against families, such as those of service members, and burdening employers, such as the military, who are prevented from treating their employees fairly and equally.”

The Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry campaign will include video and other multimedia content spotlighting the harms of DOMA on military families, including the denial of health insurance, survivor benefits, and access to military bases and housing for service members’ spouses.  Additionally, the campaign will invite the public to sign an online petition calling on Congress to “end this discriminatory and unequal treatment of our service members and veterans by repealing DOMA.”

In October 2011, SLDN filed landmark litigation on behalf of eight married gay and lesbian service members and veterans challenging DOMA and three other federal statutes that may be interpreted to prevent the military from providing the same protections and support to all families.

Freedom to Marry’s federal program works to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and make the case for marriage to government officials, opinion-leaders, and political operatives’ in Washington, DC. Freedom to Marry is a leader of the Respect for Marriage Coalition, a diverse group of nearly 70 organizations working together to repeal DOMA, and regularly hosts salons to engage Democratic, Republican, and independent opinion-leaders and operatives in conversations about why marriage matters to same-sex couples.

Since the introduction of the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’, the bill that would repeal DOMA, the number of cosponsors has increased from 18 to 32 in the Senate, including every Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and from 108 to 144 in the House of Representatives.

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Nickelodeon and the White House are joining forces to bring awareness to ways kids can support U.S. military families with a special episode of iCarly, featuring the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, premiering Monday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). Leading up to the debut of iCarly ”iMeet the First Lady,” the stars of the hit series will appear at four screening events for military families across the country.

Nickelodeon will be hosting screening events at the following locations:

• Monday, Jan. 9 – Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in Miramar, Calif.
• Wednesday, Jan. 11 – Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn.
• Thursday, Jan. 12 – Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Fort Dix, N.J.
• Friday, Jan. 13 – Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, Va.

“Having Mrs. Obama guest star on iCarly as part of Joining Forces, an initiative that supports and honors military families, was a great honor,” said Marjorie Cohn, President, Original Programming and Development, Nickelodeon.  “Her appearance helps us teach kids how important friendship and support are to military kids and their families. Plus, not only was the First Lady completely at ease when acting, she also showed some serious moves when she joined the iCarly gang in a bit of Random Dancing!”

“iMeet the First Lady” will be preceded by a special dedication from the iCarly cast and Mrs. Obama to military families. Immediately following the premiere, Nickelodeon will debut a PSA that features ways kids can show their thanks and support. For more information, visit www.thebighelp.com.

Mrs. Obama watches iCarly with her daughters and chose to appear on the show because the lead character, Carly Shay (played by Miranda Cosgrove), is the daughter of an Air Force Colonel currently serving overseas in the military. In “iMeet the First Lady,” Mrs. Obama talks to Carly about her service to America as a member of a military family and thank her friends for supporting Carly during her father’s deployment.

In the episode, Carly and Spencer are excited that their dad is returning from active duty in time to celebrate his birthday and they begin planning a party to commemorate the occasion.  Unfortunately, Colonel Shay is deployed again and must cancel his trip home. Carly is devastated when she learns that she won’t be able to spend her dad’s birthday with him.  To cheer Carly up, the gang surprises her during their next iCarly webcast by transmitting a live feed to Colonel Shay.

The webcast catches the attention of high-level government agencies and results in an unexpected visit from Mrs. Obama. Having seen the webcast, Mrs. Obama is moved by what Sam, Freddie, and Gibby did for Carly and commends Carly for being such a strong and supportive daughter to a father in the service. iCarly series creator and executive producer Dan Schneider makes his first cameo appearance on the show as a Secret Service agent.

Nickelodeon’s multi-platform offerings for “iMeet the First Lady” include highlights from the episode on Nick.com and the special will also be available for purchase in HD via iTunes, Xbox, Vudu, Samsung, PlayStation and Amazon, beginning Tuesday, Jan 17.

Joining Forces is an organization spearheaded by Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, who have been leaders in supporting our nation’s military families and advocating for their priorities. The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of our society – citizens, communities, businesses, non-profits, faith based institutions, philanthropic organizations, and government – to ensure military families have the support they have earned.

Joining Forces was created to address the unique challenges and needs of military families that Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden have heard firsthand during meetings with military spouses, briefings with military leaders, and many visits to military communities at home and abroad, and through their work on military family priorities.

Building on this groundwork, the initiative will focus on key priority areas – employment, education, and wellness, while engaging in a comprehensive effort to raise awareness about the service, sacrifice, and needs of military families.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/

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