One of the Most Qualified Gay Soldiers Ever to Be Fired from the U.S. Military

by Michael Jones · 2009-06-30 07:54:00 UTC
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Dan Choi

Here are a few facts about Lt. Col. Daniel Choi. He's a graduate of the esteemed West Point Academy.  He's served a tour in Iraq.  He's fluent in Arabic and Korean (not too shabby, given that two of the wars we're fighting are in the Middle East, and that North Korea continues to beat to the drums of nuclear weapons testing).

And today, he'll appear before a panel of military colonels who will almost suredly kick him out of the military because of one thing: he's openly gay.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has led to the firing of nearly 13,000 gay and lesbian soldiers in the U.S. military, many of whom are equally as gifted and talented (and necessary for perserving our national security) as Dan Choi.  Yet, instead of commending Dan for his remarkable abilities, and recognizing that someone with his skillset could fill unique gaps given the geopolitics of the world, our country is going to give him a pink slip.

Which means no military career for Dan Choi (that includes many of the benefits soldiers receive as members of the U.S. Armed Services).  And for the U.S. Military?  It means no soldier with crucial Arabic and Korean linguistic abilities to help our troops on the ground.

Dan Choi himself perhaps gave the best commentary on the fundamental injustice that is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell":

We're in a time of war. We have bigger things to worry about than people being gay.

True that.  And in addition, let's not forget that it's an insult to all U.S. military personnel to suggest that our Armed Forces can't handle a military unit that welcomes both gays and lesbians serving openly.  To suggest that our military is incapable of working alongside gays and lesbians suggests that our military is weak, discriminatory, and intolerant.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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