Dan Choi Re-Enlisting: Officer Who Fought To Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Aims To Rejoin Army

Dan Choi, the outspoken gay activist who was discharged from the army for revealing his sexuality, told Politico on Tuesday that he plans to re-enlist in the armed forces now that 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' is no longer law.

Choi, a former army lieutenant who served in Iraq from 2006-2007, became a public face of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' after he came out on 'The Rachel Maddow Show' in 2009. Following that public admission, Choi was discharged from the armed forces under the Clinton-era policy, which forbade gay and lesbian military personnel to disclose their sexual orientation before its repeal became official on Tuesday.

“Going back to the military will be a vindication," Choi said. "[I’m] going back because I fought to go back. The seriousness of our claims was not just political theatre – it was really drawn from our lives. I sacrificed so much so I could go back.”

Choi, who graduated from West Point in 2003 joined "Knights Out," an LGBT alumni group for the school, which he represented during his fateful 'Maddow' appearance. After learning that he would be discharged, he wrote a well-publicized open letter to President Obama, which called his treatment "a slap in the face," made numerous TV appearances, and was arrested and put on trial for his role in a protest in front of the White House.

Choi told Politico that he had an appointment with a recruiter from the Army Reserves, and that he's not certain of what his role would be if he were accepted back. But he warned that even though 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' is history, his struggle for equality is not over. “We have to recognize that just because black and white people sat together at a lunch counter, it doesn’t mean that there was no racism." he said. "Just because we abolish some of the legal discrimination, it does not mean that all of the animosity is going to end."

Comments

[Ross Lee Timbrook]

02:14 PM on 09/22/2011

I don't like to throw the term hero around a whole lot and I hate to use the term patriot even more because I think both are used for the wrong people a lot of the time. That being said, I believe, with every fiber of my being, that Dan Choi is a hero and a patriot. From the first time I saw him on Maddow, I thought he was the kind of man we need in the military. Congrats to him for accomplishing something that he worked so hard for.

[MarkAntney]

04:04 PM on 09/22/2011

He was definitely Brave at a minimum.

Never looked at it from the perspective you provided but yes I say he is?

He Stood up for all the Prior Gays that were persecuted (my word) in the past and his acts help usher in a policy to stop it's dated practices.

I say good for him and Gays in general. They've always been in our military, always excelled, they're in all segments of society.

And if Gays serving in the military causes someone in the military to leave (again they were already in), you really have to ask them, "What are you afraid of"?

[MarkAntney]

08:02 AM on 09/22/2011

Concerning Re-enlisting vs. being an Officer again;

They probably mean he's going from Officer to Enlisted, though the DADT itself was a Stupid Compromise, by which the rule was applied he did break it and thus his discharge probably keeps him from getting his commission back????

Either way, I hope they allow all those that were persecuted (my term) to rejoin the military.

To the military's credit (and the govt in general) they finally came to the conclusion, as UNComfortable as the issue can be to certain people, Gays should no longer have to pay for it. Especially when good servicemembers (after yrs, $$$s invested in them) were being removed from the ranks.

You either CAN serve your country with: Honor, distinction, pride,... or not?

There's NOTHING indicating a Gay Person can't, not when there's a distinguished record of them doing so already since our military's inception to counter any claim to the CONtrary.

They WERE already in the military, they're still in the military, they were always going to be in the military, the police force, CONservatives, ironically some STRAIGHT Cons are Gay, Libruls, Libertarians, firemen, teachers, Governors, Mayors, Uncles, Aunts, Pilots, Crack heads, drug dealers, lawyers, Muslims, Christians, atheists, dead beat fathers, live beat fathers, mothers with umpteen kids,...

Pssst, they're everywhere, it's as if they're PEOPLE, like the rest of us:):):):):)

[Charles Queen]

01:32 AM on 09/22/2011

I myself do not see any problem ith this being legalized now.I knew some gays when I was in the military a very long time agao.They did heir jobs just as well as the next person did,nor did they act gay,they acted and carried themslevs the sme as any of the other soldiers did and with good reason.Had they let their secret out of the bag they would have had the sh_t beaten out of them.All I can say for todays gays tht are already in or are contemplating joining up,go for the navy or the airfoce.Theres much less tension in those two branches concerning gays.In the army and marines it's a whole diferent story.A lot of them could care less if you'r gay or not,but then again awhlot lot do seem to have a big problem with it and if ou'r open about it you'r standing a very big chance of getting hurt very badly and not by verbal means.Keep it on the down low dies and you should be just fine

[lacrosselamore]

05:09 PM on 09/22/2011

Thank you for sharing yout thoughts. And a VERY BIG thank you for all you gave in Viet Nam.
I am a Gay Person, and I did want to enlist at one point in my life, but at the time (1970's-80"s) they DID ask, and I could not lie about it, not every day. So I did not join.
I live in an Air Force town so I knew aot of GLBT People in the Air Force and even dated a few. What a sad life they had- always lieing, looking over their shoulder pretending to "date" people of the opisite sex. It was wrong to make people live that way. I am glad I never joined, but I really wish I had the opporrtunity to serve honestly.
Again, thank you for your Servie and I wish you all the best F&F

[Charles Queen]

08:50 PM on 09/22/2011

TK U very much so.I worked with gays' when i was in,they were not suppose to be there either but they lied about that part of the elistment uesions and got in.I had no problem with any of them and most of them did their jobs just as well if at times better than the next prrson did.Like I said.my concern is trying to prevent any of them from getting hurt physically so,which is why I said to keep it on the down lo and just go on with the work day.After thats over one can always live off post,it's not a big deal and everyone does it so it doen't set off any warning signals or anything like that.Just do you'r job,keep you'r head held high and after work go to you'r apartment or trailor if you cn get one where you' at and live you'r life as you feel fit

[JessCostello]

01:09 AM on 09/22/2011

I think he should be able to reenlist, but after those not-so-flattering photos of him going limp while being arrested in front of the White House, it'll be difficult for him to take command.

[Leah Watts]

11:43 AM on 09/27/2011

He has also said disparaging things about the President, who is his C-I-C. Whilst enlisted personnel can complain amongst themselves about the President, officers are forbidden, because that is insubordination.

[Bob Macfarlane]

03:11 PM on 09/21/2011

There are still rules to be followed and I really don't believe the military will look too kindly on his publically protesting. In fact, I wish the story would have gone a bit further to outline what his "struggle for equality" is going to be all about.

You don’t think it could be about the rule of “fraternization” between the ranks?

[David Momper]

01:09 PM on 09/21/2011

Calm down. You'll get used to the idea. Really it's no big deal.

[Gary St Lawrence]

10:10 AM on 09/21/2011

I'd just like to point out that Choi was a lieutenant. Officers don't enlist or re-enlist. They are commissioned or decommissioned. Unless he plans on taking a huge cut in rank, pay and station, Choi will be joining the military again as an officer, and swear his oath to uphold the Constitution through the office upon which he is about to enter.

[destin023]

09:51 AM on 09/21/2011

he wants to prohibit human nature, that can't be done. Nor can it be detected for the most part, nor should it be..

[odiedog41374]

09:49 AM on 09/21/2011

i always thought that the gays got beat up in the military.....

[mddunnington]

10:26 AM on 09/21/2011

Nope,,,you should go into a gay bar..Start some trouble and see who gets beatup...It would take more than one guy to beatup a gay guy in the Military...Not all Gay guys are Fems...Boy have you been living in the closet.

[David Momper]

01:00 PM on 09/21/2011

Wrong..again.

[Brandy AdkinsChurch]

09:46 AM on 09/21/2011

Officers do not enlist, they are commissioned.

[s2at25]

09:55 AM on 09/21/2011

Thanks for helping an uninformed reported that has problems in writing a well structered story. This poor journalistic style is the hallmark of internet reporting.

[mwb58]

09:46 AM on 09/21/2011

This guy looks Viet Cong

[David Momper]

01:01 PM on 09/21/2011

If ignorance is bliss...you must be one happy dude.

[MarkAntney]

03:59 PM on 09/22/2011

Proving how Small of a person they are (with their post), you can add a few more Dwarfs:

Dopey, Grumpy, Sleepy, and inability to defend their 1870s views,... also Bashful

[JBaker]

06:50 PM on 09/21/2011

Racism lives.

[mwb58]

09:39 AM on 09/21/2011

The reason that homosexual men have been traditionally denied entrance into the US armed forces is because it poses a potential distraction both psychologically and physically where the lives of others are at stake. Women in combat roles pose a similar distraction and this should be considered as well. Men can be friends and still stay focused and rational in the line of fire. Homosexual lovers or the potential thereof in any field action may result in the deaths of comrades or even civilians in certain situations. It's really a no brainer for experienced military planners, tacticians and strategists. It's not about discrimination. It's about what makes sense vs what does not.

[mddunnington]

10:34 AM on 09/21/2011

Are you in the closet. Why would someone being Gay shooting at the enemy be a distraction?? Maybe you didn't know that Gays guys and woman have been fighting right along in every Armed service for hundreds of years. They just haven't been able to say, I'm Gay..Which is no big deal when serving this country..And then when someone found out they was Gay they was kicked out and lost all Military benifits for serving this country..

[JessCostello]

01:12 AM on 09/22/2011

Maybe you didn't know that Gays guys and woman have been fighting right along in every Armed service for hundreds of years

Gays yes, but it's a stretch to say women seeing that almost all the women in the U.S. military who were "fighting right along" were in disguise as men.

[JBaker]

06:51 PM on 09/21/2011

Provide verifiable examples. A hypothesis is not a fact.

[MarkAntney]

08:12 AM on 09/22/2011

You're VERY kind to call that a Hypothesis, at a minimum it's a Homofearesis?

[David Momper]

01:02 PM on 09/21/2011

Purley delusional.

[JessCostello]

01:13 AM on 09/22/2011

That's what the left wants. The military is probably the only major part of the Federal Government that isn't controlled by left wingers.

[TXanimal]

10:52 AM on 09/22/2011

More delusions.

[lacrosselamore]

05:15 PM on 09/22/2011

How do you know what the "left" wants? I didn't see you at any of the meetings.

[Laura Mom]

09:18 AM on 09/21/2011

Opppsss... Sorry Choi, The Army is full up currently. Comeback in say 10 years, ok?

[lacrosselamore]

05:16 PM on 09/22/2011

That was the most stupid post I read today. Congratulations.

[ajsolis]

09:05 PM on 09/22/2011

Congratulations

[Laura Mom]

09:00 AM on 09/23/2011

You're very welcome.

[Marisa Stein]

09:09 AM on 09/21/2011

Hes quite annoying, I feel sorry for the guys in his unit they'll probably hate him

[lacrosselamore]

05:17 PM on 09/22/2011

I feel sorry for myself. I had to read your stupid post and now I hate you.