I Stand With Lt. Dan Choi, It's Time To Repeal DADT

Last week, I had the honor of meeting a proud graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, NY - Lt. Dan Choi. Lt. Choi came to my office to meet me and discuss how we right the wrong that has occurred in his life and ensure others do not experience the same injustice.

In 2003, Lt. Dan Choi graduated from West Point with a degree in Arabic. Since graduating, Lt. Choi has served honorably in the 1st Bn., 69th Infantry of the New York Army National Guard, including a deployment in Iraq. Now, it appears his service may come to an end simply because he has publicly said these three words: "I am gay."

Lt. Dan Choi is not alone. Since 1994 when the law was implemented, approximately 13,000 able, knowledgeable, well-trained soldiers have been discharged from the US military for being gay. 800 of those discharged soldiers were -- like Lt. Choi -- experts in mission critical disciplines.

Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) comes with a severe financial burden as well. Estimates of the cost of implementing Don't Ask Don't Tell from 1994-2003 -- including recruitment, re-training and separation travel costs -- have ranged from almost $200 million to $363 million. This is millions of dollars that could have been...and should have been...spent on crucial personnel and equipment for our military.

In the discharge letter sent to Lt. Choi, authorities claimed that soldiers, such as Choi, "negatively affect good order and discipline" within their units by being openly gay. This is directly contradicted by opinion polls of servicemembers, which say that the more they are aware of their fellow soldiers' homosexuality, the less they feel it's a factor in their service.

In December 2007, 28 retired generals and admirals urged Congress to repeal the policy. They pointed to the fact that 65,000 gay men and women are currently serving in the armed forces, and that there are over 1,000,000 gay veterans. Now, more than 100 retired U.S. military leaders -- including the former head of the Naval Academy -- have signed on to a statement calling for an end to DADT policy. During a time when our military is engaged in multiple wars abroad, and the potential for future conflicts on the horizon, it is critical not to undermine our military's effectiveness and readiness.

I am firmly committed to repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. To that end, I am working closely with Congressman Murphy and Senator Kennedy's offices to develop support for repeal legislation and will be among the original co-sponsors of the bill when it's introduced. In the weeks and months ahead, I plan to work with Lt. Choi to repair the damage that has been done to his career and spare thousands of innocent, brave men and women, from the same injustice.

Comments

[Whalen1776]

Thank you for your support of this issue!

You make me proud to be an Upstate New Yorker!

[army193]

America has always believed in collateral damage ...African­-Americans­-Japanese interments­-Katrina-I­raq War-Afghan War-DADT-DOMA- After math of September 11- Health Care for All -just to name a few.

[superstition]

What happened to the Tauscher bill? The last time I heard it was dying in committee with no support from the White House or the Democratic leadership.

The public, 69-75% of it, wants DADT ended. Majorities of conservatives and church-goers want the policy ended. This shouldn't even be a debate. The military has been studying the participation of gays since the 1957 Crittenden Report (the 1988 PERSEREC/S­arbin-Karo­ls report, the 1989 PERSEREC/McDaniel study, and the 1993 RAND study), and it's been burying those studies and stonewalling ever since.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Go9XsJ47GswC

This shouldn't be a debate any longer. DADT shouldn't have even come into existence. There had already been several other reports that came out after Crittenden that found no support for the justifications for DADT.

Congress is necessary for repeal, but the President, instead of defending the policy, should have put it on hold on day one. Where is his support for Tauscher's bill?

And, what is going to happen to the 258 troops that have been fired by the President since he took office? What is going to happen regarding the others fired under the policy?

[T2inDC]

It's 260 troops already. 2 a day. The support for the Tausher bill HB 1283 comes from the American people. There are 147 congressional co-sponsors of Tausher's Bill. We need over 200 co-sponsors for it to be guaranteed to move through congress. Please contact your Congressperson and ask them to be a co-sponsor. Give voice to those that cannot speak for themselves.

[olephart]

Get rid of DADT. It doesn’t have to be replaced with any specific policy. The only criteria for service should be to answer the question: “How did you get into this room?” If the answer is “I walked” then you’re in. Sexual orientation is a fact of life just like right handedness or left handedness. Nothing needs to be written in the regulations concerning this, end of story. And I’m old, fat, white and straight.

[T2inDC]

Yes, get rid of DADT. It does have a replacement policy of non discrimination that is being included with HB 1283. Please come out and support the repeal of DADT. Knights Out is sponsoring SLDN's March on the White House in Washington DC on Saturday June 27th.
Led by the fighting Cook v. Gates plaintiffs (service members discharged under DADT), SLDN and other community organizations, including Knights Out, will be marching to the White House on Saturday, June 27 to call upon President Obama to break his silence on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The first 265 marchers will be veterans and service members. This is the number of service members discharged since January 20 when the President took office. In addition, family and friends of service members will be attending to implore the president to lead the way with lawmakers to get repeal done in this Congress and to end discrimination in the military. One doesn't need to be a veteran or on active duty to show up and support our LGBT troops, one only needs to be committed to equality for all.
Together, we have a real opportunity to deliver a powerful message to the White House, Congress, and to the American people, and to let our service members know they have not been forgotten. Sign up at www.sldn.org/265 and represent!

Assembly is at Farragut Square at 2:00pm. The group will march to the White House from there.
Support the repeal of DADT!

[MarkInEugene]

It amazes me just how severe the indoctrination, the fear, the lies, the vilification of homosexuals has been. And DADT has just been more of the same. Forces throughout history have distorted the truth about this small segment of the human population. They have never permitted homosexuals to define who they are and what they're like. Instead who and what they are has always been defined for them. Their sexuality has been characterized as an abomination, a crime, "bad for discipline and good order", a sin, and generally something inherently evil. The absurdity of the logic used to oppress gays and lesbians is stark and bewildering especially for a modern educated society. That's why I'm so astonished at how long the oppression has lasted and how it continues in this country.

The forces aligned against homosexuality have been relentless, hypocritical, unjust, ignorant, and misguided. Religious belief with no basis in fact has been the primary supply line for the war on gays and lesbians. If we want to continue to base our understanding of human sexuality on what arcane religious belief borne out of ancient superstition tells us, then America will lose. We will fall behind other societies that are trying to use scientific inquiry and study to understand all aspects of human psychology.

If the military cannot deal with homosexuality in a rational forthright objective way, they cannot claim to have well rounded, well trained, leaders prepared for all of life's challenges.

[YoMama]

Right on.

[mgarner1]

This is a really brave position you've taken Senator. Tell me, where do you stand on taxing my health care benefits?

[Jeffisok]

Thank you Senator!!!! We need many more like you.

[Palemoon]

Senator Gillibrand, I have to ask you, as well as many other commenters on here, exactly what you are going to replace DADT with?

You see, I served in the military prior to DADT being implemented. DADT did nothing to change the fact that being LGBT was a punishable offense under the UCMJ. Prior to LGBT, the mere allegation that someone was LGBT was enough to warrant an investigation which almost always led to dismissal from the military. I had to watch a fellow in my squadron go through that very thing, and recieve a dishonorable discharge as a result. Under the DADT system, the military had to actually have irrefutable proof that someone was LGBT before they could even so much as investigate. So in that respect, there was some good in DADT.

To say that DADT is the problem is wrong. People have been dishonorably discharged from our armed forces since 1778 when one of General George Washington's own officers was kicked to the curb for being gay. Lieutenant Frederick Gotthold Enslin was his name in case anyone is interested.

So, when DADT is repealed, what will replace it? Remember, once DADT is lifted, it's back to full on disclosure and nothing can stop officers from performing witch hunts to out members of their squadrons/units they suspect as being LGBT.

I'd prefer Congress and the President force the military to change and allow the LGBT's to serve legally and openly.

[OdinsEye]

You hit on an extremely important point: Repealing DADT means that things will go back to the way they were before.

DADT was written to ALLOW gays to serve in the military. Before this policy, gays, including those openly gay or secretly gay, were prosecuted and kicked out of the military. DADT was put in place so that gays who kept their gender preferences to themselves would be able to serve.

Putting it simply, before DADT, Lt Choi would have been kicked out even if he had not openly stated he was gay. Because of DADT, Lt Choi was able to serve without much fear of being kicked out so long as he kept quiet.

Repealing DADT would make his situation worse, not better.

[Ward Adams]

The plan, I believe, is to remove DADT and instill equal rights. I have to believe that they have a plan beyond ending DADT.

[sympathyforthedevil]

Way to go Senator!

[discourse jockey]

We'll get around to abolishing DADT. Yes, it's a shame, and we need to install equal rights and also full marriage benefits for every couple (except for DINKsters, who CHOOSE not to procreate and need to tax cuts whatsoever).

But the by far more important issue of the day is A STRONG PUBLIC OPTION in health care. What does a blue dog like yourself have to say about that, Senator?

Oh? Write an essay about something else? Alrighty.

[DC Democrat]

Only one problem at a time? Someone forgot to tell Iran.

[sprtakis69]

As a recently retired Navy Veteran, who happens to be gay, I SALUTE you Senator!

[AbbieXHoffman]

oh bless you for serving despite the obvious.

[sprtakis69]

It’s amazing it’s even an issue!

[mbaty]

I wonder what would happen to "unit cohesion" if every gay service member came out at once. Surely they wouldn't be able to kick all those people out very quickly, and with our military stretched thin, we would realize that it's more important to let them serve openly. We are asking them to put their lives on the line while we also ask them to hide their lives in secrecy. It's beyond rude. Even ISREAL let's it's men and women in uniform serve openly.

[rgblue]

Bravo, Senator Gillibrand!

This is part of why we New Yorkers are so happy with you.

[bighat]

The members of the armed forces have now set a record for serving tours in the 2 wars. They are tired and beat up. Life has been 24/7 for them. These people that have no R & R with their fellow soldiers are returning home with more mental problems than we have ever seen

I say let the gays join and serve on the front lines or where their ability is from cooking, medic, to parachuting for the front lines.

But I wonder if in the end will you be proud if allowed to serve. these 2 wars have gone on forever. We need replacements. Especially since we may have another 2 or 3 wars on the horizon in which the fighting could be far different than what is today. (I mean NKorea, China, Russia (possibly) in which the veterans will have to learn new skills. though the fighting in Iran vs Israel maybe similiar.

Face it folks the draft will becoming back. Today you can claim to be openly gay and not serve. Tommorrow, everyone male and female at the age of 18 will be asked to sign up and the lotto by birthday will ensue

[StringOfLights]

Thank you!