DADT Proponents Get Their Way; Gay Iraq Vet Fired

by: Brandon Friedman

Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:05:51 AM EDT


In a victory for anti-gay, shower-fearing advocates of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, Lieutenant Dan Choi--an openly gay infantry officer--was removed yesterday from his position leading soldiers in the New York Army National Guard.  He was subsequently kicked out of the Army.  

To be certain, this was a spectacular triumph for those trumpeting morality in the Armed Services.  In exchange for maintaining the heterosexual purity of Choi's infantry battalion, the Army only had to give up the following things:

1. A West Point graduate
2. An Arabic linguist
3. A seasoned leader and combat veteran with service in Iraq.

Sacrificing an Arabic linguist with a security clearance is small price to pay, of course, for placating bigots.  

Rachel Maddow covered it on her show last night:

For those who can't view the clip, Rachel highlighted portions of Choi's letter from the Army.  It said, in part:

This is to inform you that sufficient basis exists to initiate action for withdrawal of Federal Recognition in the Army National Guard. . .for moral or professional dereliction. . .Specifically, you admitted publicly that you are a homosexual, which constitutes homosexual conduct. . .Your actions negatively affected the good order and discipline of the New York Army National Guard.

I wrote about Choi in March after he made his announcement and began working with Knights Out, an organization comprised of gay West Point graduates.  At the time, it was pretty clear that this was coming.  Choi knew the rules, and he knew he was breaking them.  So this isn't the Army's fault.  The Army, in this case, was simply forced by Choi to enforce the law as passed by Congress.  And I don't have a problem with that.  

More important than the action or the result, however, is the message this sends.  And the message is this: The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law is cosmically absurd in 2009.  By sacrificing his own career, that's the point Choi is attempting to drive home to Middle America.  And when he appears on The Rachel Maddow Show tonight, I think he'll do that.

The U.S. Army is weaker today than it was yesterday.  And for that, I hope our patriotic, socially "conservative" anti-gay friends are proud.
Brandon Friedman :: DADT Proponents Get Their Way; Gay Iraq Vet Fired
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DADT Proponents Get Their Way; Gay Iraq Vet Fired | 5 comments
Choi made the personal choice to be a Rosa Parks... (0.00 / 0)
His choice prevents the Military-Congress-Obama from quietly postponing what is the eventuality of open service of the Long Gay Line.

4. The Army lost a soldier with personal courage.

What's more important? (4.00 / 2)
A lot of the debate about DADT revolves around whether or not straight soldiers will be uncomfortable around gay soldiers. I wonder how uncomfortable some soldiers will be with one less interpreter around.
This does not make sense in any way (0.00 / 0)
The military has been stretched so thin over the last several years, they are willing to accept enlistees they would never have approved before. They promote soldiers they shouldn't, and hold on to soldiers that should have been let go.  If you have a criminal record, and you want to join the Army, there is a waiver for that.  If you cannot pass the ASVAB (8th grade reading level) there is a waiver for that.  If you are too overweight and out of shape (and thus would be a detriment to your unit) there is a waiver for that.  I've personally seen a soldier court-martialed for trying to smuggle an AK-47 out of Iraq, and then seen the same soldier promoted to E-7 only a few months later.  

And yet if we have an intelligent, fit, skilled soldier with a much needed, critical, language capability - he gets the boot.  This defies logic at a level I cannot comprehend.  

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama

This is so sad ... (0.00 / 0)
and so bonkers.  

As someone pointed out in a chat regarding the furor over same-sex marriage (in the context of the DC Council's decision to recognize same-sex marriages from other states), the notion that America of all places still has trouble grasping basic civil rights concepts is mind-boggling.  It speaks to how truly backward this country still is in general.  Home of the Free my patootie (well, sure, as compared to plenty of countries -- but is that good enough?).  

What I can't fathom is why no gay person has sued and taken the equal rights issue to the Supreme Court.  Simply doesn't compute.  Not as though the opportunities don't abound.  If the Lovings hadn't sued Virginia over the constitutionality of its anti-miscegenation law, interracial marriage might still be illegal.

Do folks remember that it wasn't so long ago (1967) that someone was arguing before the Supreme Court in defense of Virginia's law that God meant for the races to be separate, and that had it not been for human intervention (slave trade), the races would have remained separate?  :)  

It seems that but for some old men writing this or that nonsense a couple thousand years ago and declaring them the words of a particular god, we wouldn't still be having this discussion/angst.  ... or when men get over their seemingly infinite ignorance of a body's reactions to touch (I speak of those who are terrified of the implications if they become involuntarily sexually aroused).  Priceless are the stories of stiffened terror, no pun intended, told by any given proctologist.    :)  

In general (not solely), no offense to those of you who fit the category, I'm afraid we need a few more generations of white men to fall down and die before this changes significantly.  

Sorry, it occurs to me ... (0.00 / 0)
that none of you would be privvy to a 30-year inside joke with my mother (until she died in 2000), which had been running since the time I was five.  I had insisted that the lyrics should be "home of the free" vs. "land of...."  We decided it had something to do with the expression "home free" at some point.
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DADT Proponents Get Their Way; Gay Iraq Vet Fired | 5 comments
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