West Point Grad Latest DADT Victim

A month and a half after Dan Choi publicly announced his homosexuality and the formation of a support group for openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender West Point graduates, the first lieutenant received a letter formally kicking him out of the Army National Guard.

Choi, an Iraq war vet and Arabic translator, appeared on a live broadcast of The Rachel Maddow Show on March 19, announcing his sexual orientation in stating, “By saying three words to you today -- 'I am gay' -- those three words are in violation of Title 10 of the U.S. code. It’s a code that is polluted by the people who want us to lie… it’s an immoral code that goes against every single thing that we were taught at West Point with our honor code.”

This week Choi received a letter citing his public admission of homosexuality as a cause for discharging him from the Army, stating that his actions “negatively affected the good order and discipline of the New York Army National Guard.”

Maddow asked Choi in advance of this outcome, and Choi responded, “Of course, and just like the 12,500 soldiers that have been kicked out since the 15 years of this law and policy, we really just find that as a group of West Point graduates, it's more important to do the right thing.”

Choi will be appearing on The Rachel Maddow Show tonight for his first interview since being kicked out of the military.

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Name: Roger Burr
Date posted: 2009-05-08 10:19 AM
Hometown: Marble Hill, MO

Comment:

I can't believe this. This man is being CASTIGATED for his honesty! Ira says the man lied about his desire to serve. If THAT was so he would never have entered the military in the first place! J. Monroe thinks rules should be obeyed. While I agree in principle; had that logic been consistent Rosa Parks would have given up her seat on the bus and Martin Luther King would never have held his marches! Progress is made when senseless rules are broken! Serving is never a false pretense. A. Trentacoste feels Lt. Choi should have kept quiet. WHY, when his fellow soldiers are talking about THEIR wives, girlfriends etc? The military does not function in a vacuum. People talk about their private lives. It is rediculous to expect Mr. Choi not to discuss his because others might not like it. SUCK IT UP. This is reality, not some abstract concept. I'm a 63 y/o GAY Army veteran. Iserved TWO tours of duty in Vietnam. To do it over I would do EXACTLY what Lt. Choi did. Way to go, Lieutenant!

Name: J. Monroe
Date posted: 2009-05-08 4:56 AM
Hometown: Tucson

Comment:

I don't have any problem with gay people. And DADT is a terrible policy. It's stupid. But it's still the rules, adn they know the rules going in...the people who are 'victims' of DADT are those who don't realize they're gay till after they've already gotten in, and who are then stuck. They went in with good faith, and then were placed in the position of eithe rlying or being kicked out anyway. If this young man knew he was gay in advance, he's not honorable. He went in under false pretenses, and then explicitly violated policy to make a point. If he didn't know, then he stil lhad avenues (stupid though they may be) to pursue before a public announcement. I have no sympathy, and he is far from a 'victim'.

Name: Roger Burr
Date posted: 2009-05-07 11:55 PM
Hometown: Marble Hill, MO

Comment:

I saw this fine young man on The Rachel Maddow Show, this evening. It is a terrible tragedy that such dedication and talent is not being allowed to serve; based solely on sexual orientation. This man is a West Point graduate, an Officer AND an Arabic linguist! To lose such people as he is beyond disgraceful! What I also found interesting in his remarks was his admission that everyone KNEW he was gay; his peers, subordinates AND his superiors; AND NOBODY CARED!!! All they could see was a fine young officer; a leader of men and a credit to his uniform. His sexual orientation was immaterial to them. That said, we need to get rid of DADT, NOW!!!!

Name: mike
Date posted: 2009-05-07 11:06 PM
Hometown: cincinnati

Comment:

The government needs a total overhaul. People need to change their smallmindedness. This is why homophobia continues to this day. We allow it. The government continues to allow it. Macho people in the military hide behind their insecurities and religion to condone their hatred and school boy behavior. Obama needs to wake up and own up to the fact that we are mistreated throughout life. The emotional damage is incredible. Gays can't come out until they decide not to drive off a cliff. Straight people cause this. I am not sure why everyone thinks that we have to be like the straight majority. It is so disgusting. I feel very bad for this soldier. He has been an exemplary addition to the military. Keep finding people with GED's to translate arabic. I wonder if the people running this country have brains.

Name: david greene
Date posted: 2009-05-07 10:58 PM
Hometown: Canton Ohio

Comment:

I SALUTE you Mr. Choi for your decision to come out. You have a lot of support behind you. I served in the U.S. Navy and graduated first in my class at the National Cryptologic School in Washington D.C. I served in silence, fear, and shame for fear of being outed and received my Honorable discharge after four years. They lost their top Hebrew Interpreter simply because of my orientation. I was willing to stay 20 years, but I couldn't under those circumstances. I didn't have DADT in my day. My brother served honorably in the Air Force, fought in Viet Nam, and was UNDESIRABLY discharged for being outed in London England, and sent home in disgrace simply for being gay.

Name: Shirley Drouin
Date posted: 2009-05-07 7:55 PM
Hometown: Paducah Ky

Comment:

Some Straights want honesty but they can't handle it. I have found that many people today are accepting if they get to know you first and and already know you to be a decent person who just happens to be gay. It really changes their view on the subject when they realize we are the same as them and only want the same respect and equal treatment that they themselves want. Harvey Milk was right, we must come out and let our friends, neighbors and co-workers know who we are...of course you have to develope a good relationship and trust to let someone know. There are always those who will judge you and become distant even so. But by and large most people are not the fanatics who make all the noise. I have seen sush progress in my lifetime that I'm convinced full equality is bound to happen. People who act like idiots are the reason it is taken so long. Just be a decent human being and it will happen.

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above.

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives

Two Nude Mags Vie for Levi's Johnston
Playgirl.com and Unzipped both want a piece of Levi Johnston naked -- and according to the manager for Sarah Palin's would-be son-in-law, he's interested.

Why Ben & Jerry's Honored Marriage Equality
Ben & Jerry's grand pooh-bah of PR talks to Advocate.com about his company’s decision to honor Vermont marriage equality with peanut butter and fudge.

On Set: BearCity
Out actors, horny extras, and dirty jocks keep the fur flying as Advocate.com visits the set of BearCity, a romantic comedy set in the bear scene, on the last day of filming in New York City.

Dairy Queen
NYC’s latest foodie obsession is frigid and flamboyant.

Maine Marriage: Following the Money
As the same-sex marriage battle heats up in Maine, the Roman Catholic Church has stepped up its financial support to put the kibosh on marriage equality -- even as churches shut down because of dwindling membership.

One Traumatic Soprano
Ira Siff's alter ego Madame Vera Galupe-Broszkh may be an over-the-top tribute to the opera world, but it hasn't stopped legends including Leontyne Price and Joan Sutherland from embracing the show.

Matt in the Middle
Gay assistants may be a Hollywood must-have, but E! News host Giuliana Rancic's assistant Matt Jacobi takes his “gay husband” duties to a new level on Style Network's Giuliana & Bill.

Hot Sheet: Charlize, Whitney, and Sandra
In this week's installment of what's hot in entertainment, Whitney's long-awaited comeback gets us dancing in our seats, Chris Pine freaks us out in an upcoming thriller, and the charming Mila Kunis keeps us entertained in Extract.

View From Washington: Ted Kennedy
Sen. Ted Kennedy's unfaltering devotion to the LGBT community during the AIDS crisis typified the wealth of humanity he offered to all.

Gossip Check
Robert Rave makes some pretty wild allegations in his debut novel, Spin. We put some of his claims to the test -- and reveal a little extra, like, Which Oscar winner does bong hits out of fruit? -- with National Enquirer gossip hound Rick Egusquiza.