The Pentagon is watching you, NYU LGBT activists.
The Pentagon has classified NYU School of Law’s gay and lesbian advocacy group as “potentially violent” following the surveillance of a February counter-military protest at the university, according to media reports.
NYU’s OUTlaw is one of many “suspicious” civilian groups across the country surveyed by the Department of Defense over a recent 10-month period, according to a 400-page defense department document obtained by NBC News last month.
What were OUTLaw’s heinous, borderline violent activities? Protesting the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. They recently requested to see the information that the Pentagon is keeping on them, and were refused.
Luckily, though, it seems like the university is stepping up to the plate:
NYU spokesman John Beckman said the university is puzzled as to why an NYU group is listed as a possible terrorist threat, regardless of whether the threat is deemed credible.
“It seems very odd that anyone would consider a public protest — a public expression of free speech — a threat of any kind,” Beckman said.
“Particularly given that this very topic, the Solomon Amendment, is a matter before the Supreme Court as we speak.”
Beckman said he university is investigating the matter and has contacted U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton and Rep. Jerry Nadler, all New York Democrats.
“[We] asked them to look into this matter and seek answers from the Pentagon,” he said.
I hope they get some.