I learned any number of things in my time at West Point; the rigorous physical discipline I would need in my time as an Officer in Iraq, the foundation of knowledge in Arabic and environmental engineering that would help me contribute to the military even outside a war zone, and most importantly, the fundamental fact that on any battlefield, in any combat zone, your best strategy is to be proactive, not reactive. When you're fighting for your life, sitting back and waiting to be attacked is not an option. Battles have to be fought and won; if we could just wait for them to be handed to us, we wouldn't be fighting in the first place.
This last lesson has as many implications in civilian life as it does in the military, and as a gay officer, I feel there is one specific arena today where it is most apt: namely, the battle to overturn discrimination against gay and lesbian individuals.
I have spent my life in the army fighting for what I believe is right, and to uphold the American dream both at home and abroad. For me, that has meant fighting, actively, against the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The sorts of skills I learned at West Point, how to quickly analyze and react to a situation, make a split-second decision when necessary, and, outside the combat zone, develop lasting positive relationships with the Arab people and the world environment, have never had anything to do with my sexual orientation. There is no reason, then, that I should be forced to hide it.
I adamantly believe that this policy, one which enforces a sense of shame, of inadequacy, and of secrecy on the brave young men and women willing to serve our country is discriminatory, and should thus be abolished. As a soldier, I had to swear an oath to uphold the Constitution; written into that noble document are the words "all men are created equal." I believe in that document and those words, and so I don't believe that I should be made to feel unequal under a discriminatory policy like "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
It is my history in the war against discrimination as embodied in DADT that has drawn me into another battle currently being waged, one where I have not yet been an active soldier: the battle to overturn Prop 8.
Why enter the fray? Because, as with DADT, I believe that, at its core, Proposition 8 is the product of ignorance and discrimination against a group of people who are entitled to the same equality that the Constitution, and, as one of its defenders, I, uphold. When my fellow soldiers and myself go overseas, leaving family and friends behind and often putting our very lives at risk, it is to uphold an oath that asks us to reject discrimination of all kinds. To come home from a mission intended to spread that highest ideal of democracy, namely equality, and be told that, as a gay soldier, I am not entitled to the same rights as my fellow American citizens, that, in fact, I am in effect a second-class citizen to whom certain rights aren't available, seems to me fundamentally immoral. I'm willing to put my life on the line for this country; don't I at least deserve the same protection and recognition for my relationships as any straight civilian?
There has been much debate about whether the court case currently being waged in California right now is the right way to go about achieving marriage equality. Is it too soon, some wonder? What if we are defeated, and that defeat sets us back for years to come?
As a veteran both of battlefield combat and of its political counterpart, I don't think so. Here, as with any fight, we have to be strategic, proactive, and most importantly willing to fight for what we believe in. Sitting back and allowing the status quo to prevail simply because it would be easier is not what moves us forward as a people. It is in our history, our Constitution, indeed, in our makeup as American citizens to take the fight to injustice, and to fight it wherever we see it raise its ugly head; right now that battle is in California, and so, even though I have no history with the marriage equality battle, that is where I will lend my support. As a soldier, I know when my country needs me; as a gay Officer who has had to fight discrimination before and will have to fight it again in the future, I know that now is one of those times.
Remember those great words of another veteran warrior for civil rights, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Right now the greatest injustice I see is the discrimination going on at home: are you willing to stand up in order to defend what's right? I know I am.
Please allow me to also thank you for putting yourself in the fight against Prop 8. You've well articulated why it is unreasonable and simply unAmerican to ask the GLBT community to wait for its civil equality in light of other important pressing issues.
We are fighting for our lives.
As a nation, we have set a dangerous precedent of putting minority rights to a popular vote and that should concern US ALL.
Thank you again.
Keep fighting. Don't accept second class citizenship. And above all speak up. Let those of us not directly in the line of fire know there's still a battle raging out there. We can't run towards the sound of guns if you're silent.
Then I want to say Great Post! Great perspective on the issue!
You're deployed somewhere where your 'body' is really needed for whatever you do, and you're not easily replaced. So, you continue on with your deployment even if you have become a victim of DODT. You serve your nation, your military, your unit with distinction. Perhaps you do something critical that no one else can do.
Then your deployment ends, you come home, and get drummed out of the military. You may be degraded by some members of your unit. You will certainly be degraded by your commander who, as a function of his job does NOT like homosexuals (and he may even be a homosexual in a deep closet {I know of one of those}). Your service means nothing. Your loyalty means nothing.
You're unceremonially booted from your service. You may be denied veterans benefits. Your discharge papers have code numbers on them indicating the circumstances of your being booted. So, you may not get a job in places where previous commanders now fill job positions as a second career.
It's a very nasty group in the Pentagon who do not, and never will like homosexuals. They dislike gays more than many enemy soldiers who thay can respect as warriors. Gays get no such respect from the military brass.
Lt. Choi had full support of the majority of his subordinates (according to what I've read).
The gays and lesbians I know, who have all been in 17+ years haven't experienced what you describe......
Any soldier unable to do this should not be in the U.S. military and each soldier knows military requirements and prohibitions BEFORE volunteering for military service.
For example, the military brass's attempt to delay the repeal of DADT by saying further studies are necessary to determine if separate shower facilities would have to be built in military barracks if the repeal goes through. How long have they been studying this and have they found other countries which allow gays to serve openly have had to construct separate showers?
And the Pope's nonsensical attempt to link the promulgation of gay marriage with environmental damage etc. comes from the same source which states that condoms are not effective against the spread of AIDS in Africa.
The religious right would have us believe that this country was founded as a "Christian" nation. Tell that to the Founding Fathers who were essentially deists and not theists and we have laws against the establishment of any religion or, on the other hand, forbidding the practice of any religion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Establishment_Clause_of_the_First_Amendment
The time for excuses are past so let's do the right and only possible things by repealing DADT now and agreeing to the acceptance of marriage equality.
Lt. Choi is absolutely right!
Same sex marriage has to elevate non-birth children to the same status as a couple's natural children. In my humble opinion, once a child is placed from it's natural mother or father, then I can understand laws that control safe placement in the best interests of the child. But once you have same sex marriage, it seems to me that now the "equal protection" laws come into play controlling children, natural born with their birth mother/ father equally with adopted children. That means the government has a say about how you raise your kids and that's a much bigger bite into this issue than I have ever heard any of my gay friends answer to.
It's a window of government control into every single person's home potentially. You need alot of trust and control of our government before that would happen, if ever.
I would appreciate a real discussion about these fears and not the anti homophobia dribble.
To be denied both your choice of career and partner in life is atrocious.
I'm hopeful. Despite the homophobia and hatred, America does seem to be moving forward, even if it's very slowly.
You are an American hero. Thank you for your courage.
Everyone should read Mr. Olsen's essay in Newsweek titled 'The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage'. Here's the link
http://www.newsweek.com/id/229957
Gay marriage is a conservative value, it is NOT a Republican value. Therein lies the political problem.
This case is every bit as important as the SCOTUS case some years back which took all government out of gay mens bedrooms everywhere. It is as important as the SCOTUS case which washed away the barriers regarding interracial marriage.
This case is about EQUAL RIGHTS and EQUAL PROTECTION. It will be decided by the SCOTUS. If the Court protect rights, and force equal rights, then this case will wash away this patchwork of laws at all levels of government which have institutionalized gay discrimination. This discrimination has been written into law by city councils, by county governments, by state governments, and even worse, into state constitutions.
Equal protection comes from the Judicial Branch which has responsibility to protect the rights of the minority against the tyranny of the majority.
This case is not nearly so much about gay marriage as it is about gay rights and equal protection under law for gays - including military gays.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/01/18/100118fa_fact_talbot
We cannot afford to lose anyone who is willing to serve their country, and it is notable that a key area that has been affected by don't ask, don't tell has been linguists. We have few enough of them, and to be booting out even a handful is a major disservice to the safety of our soldiers and the accomplishment of our mission.
Thank you for your service.
Something else: a million soldiers who support your position regarding being gay in the active military do NOT outrank one general or admiral flying a desk in the Pentagon. Until the military departments are dragged into accepting gays in the military, it will NEVER happen voluntarily. That was true for Jews at the start of the 20th century. That was true for blacks before WWII. It was mostly true for blacks during WWII. It remained true for blacks in the Navy even after President Truman integrated the military by executive order. So, do NOT hold your breath for the support of the brass. It's NEVER coming. Period.
And, in the first year of the Obama Administration, NOTHING has happened regarding DADT.
The Democrats know that they will get gay support because the Republicans do not want any gays in their tent - military or civilian. Knowing that, the Democrats know they need do nothing regarding all types of gay rights and discrimination. And that's exactly what is happening. Winning the gay rights political battles is as elusive as half-a-century ago.
More on Prop 8 in the next post.
And that is precisely why I, and many others, have contacted the Party to let them know they can no longer take our money and our votes for granted.
Gone are the days when gays will simply automatically vote Democratic. GONE. And the Party would be wise to realize this, especially in light of its recent devastating loss in Massachusetts where voters said to the Dems, "Don't take us for granted. Change."