Lt. Dan Choi: dismissed from military for saying 'I am gay'
In an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Lt. Dan Choi shared his reaction to the notification of his dismissal from the U.S. Army over an admission consisting of three words: "I am gay." Under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, publicly admitting one's homosexual orientation constitutes a homosexual act which is grounds for termination.
Choi was previously deployed to Iraq, where he utilized his specialties as an arabic linguist. He also served as leader for his unit in the United States Army National Guard and founded Knights Out, an organization comprised of openly gay and lesbian West Point graduates and their supporters. He offered this introduction on the KnightsOut.org website.
My name is Dan Choi. I am a West Point graduate. I am a Lieutenant in the United States Army.
I am gay.
I serve my country. I serve my country because I heard a leader say: “ASK NOT what your country can do for you… ASK what you can do for your country.” But when I step up to serve our country, to put my life on the line to protect my community, to protect my neighbors, to protect my family, to protect America, I am ordered… DON’T ASK. I am ordered… DON’T TELL.
I serve with 65,000 selfless gay and lesbian Americans; we are ordered to deny who we are. We’re ordered to HIDE. But I am not hiding anymore. I am not asking permission anymore. I am done ASKING. I am TELLING. I am gay.
I applaud Dan Choi for his bravery, honesty and service to his country. Even with the recent victories in GLBT rights legislation, our community still faces the ugly threats of discrimination and intolerance. How does a person's sexual orientation affect his or her work?
I strongly hope that President Obama will uphold his commitments to rectify this lingering stain on the Democratic party. As revealed in the interview, it is estimated that 12,500 soldiers have been dismissed because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Will Obama choose to use the momentum built by his historic election to accomplish historic advances in civil rights? Or will our concerns be silenced by the demands of other, more immediate issues?
How much longer will gay soldiers have to serve their country in silence?
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