Dan Choi at the Ath
An Openly Gay Infantry Officer Wants to Serve Again
Hannah Burak
Last Updated: 12/29/09 Section: Books and Arts
In 1992 on the campaign trail, presidential candidate Bill Clinton famously promised to repeal the U.S. Army's ban on homosexuals serving in the openly. The compromise that eventually was passed by Congress established the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy still in place. On November 5, Dan Choi spoke at the Athenaeum about his experiences serving openly as a gay man in the Army and his subsequent dishonorable discharge. In an evening rife with jokes, stories, poetry, and occasional yelling in Arabic, Choi passionately advocated for the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Though now an outspoken activist in the gay rights movement, Choi began the evening describing how he spent much of his life attempting to hide his homosexuality. The son of a Baptist minister in a conservative Korean family, Choi related the shame he felt as a child and the fear of coming out to his parents as an adult. His sister recommended waiting a decade to tell his parents, or even not telling them at all. Within his unit, Choi referred to his partner back home as a 'girlfriend'. The turning point for Choi came when he fell in love. He felt that he was finally able to understand the other men in his unit and their concerns for their loved ones at home. At that point, hiding such an important part of his life was no longer an option. He further explained his decision as one of choosing between West Point's Honor Code, which says that a soldier will not lie or tolerate those who lie, and Congress's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Choi decided that the code which defined his career and lifestyle outweighed Congress' orders to keep silent. He came out on The Rachel Maddow Show in March 2009.
One excellent point Choi brought up struck at the impracticality of DADT. In the post-9/11 era, the Army has a pressing and urgent need for capable and skilled soldiers. Posters, commercials, recruiters on high school campuses - all eagerly draw in potential soldiers, only to see them forced out despite training and qualifications if they make known their homosexuality. Between 1994 and 2008, over 13,500 soldiers were discharged from service on these grounds. Choi, a First Lieutenant and West Point graduate with degrees in Arabic and environmental engineering, argued that with increasing needs for interpreters and highly specialized soldiers in operations like counter-insurgency, the Army cannot afford to discriminate amongst its most qualified members because of their sexuality.
Though now an outspoken activist in the gay rights movement, Choi began the evening describing how he spent much of his life attempting to hide his homosexuality. The son of a Baptist minister in a conservative Korean family, Choi related the shame he felt as a child and the fear of coming out to his parents as an adult. His sister recommended waiting a decade to tell his parents, or even not telling them at all. Within his unit, Choi referred to his partner back home as a 'girlfriend'. The turning point for Choi came when he fell in love. He felt that he was finally able to understand the other men in his unit and their concerns for their loved ones at home. At that point, hiding such an important part of his life was no longer an option. He further explained his decision as one of choosing between West Point's Honor Code, which says that a soldier will not lie or tolerate those who lie, and Congress's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Choi decided that the code which defined his career and lifestyle outweighed Congress' orders to keep silent. He came out on The Rachel Maddow Show in March 2009.
One excellent point Choi brought up struck at the impracticality of DADT. In the post-9/11 era, the Army has a pressing and urgent need for capable and skilled soldiers. Posters, commercials, recruiters on high school campuses - all eagerly draw in potential soldiers, only to see them forced out despite training and qualifications if they make known their homosexuality. Between 1994 and 2008, over 13,500 soldiers were discharged from service on these grounds. Choi, a First Lieutenant and West Point graduate with degrees in Arabic and environmental engineering, argued that with increasing needs for interpreters and highly specialized soldiers in operations like counter-insurgency, the Army cannot afford to discriminate amongst its most qualified members because of their sexuality.
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