Ashwin Madia, who is running for the open Congressional seat in Minnesota's 3rd District, met with LGBT supporters at Chicago's Minibar, 3341 N. Halsted, Aug. 18. Madia is an attorney and former Marine. Local hosts were Jim Madigan, John Barry and Bill Weeks; sponsors were Laura Ricketts and Heidi Grathouse.
As a military judge advocate defense council ( equal to a public defender ) in Okinawa, Japan, Madia defended a young Marine who was found to have downloaded gay porn on his government-owned computer. To Madia, the issue was the difference between the treatment of Marines who were caught downloading straight porn, as opposed to gay.
'Most Marines would get a rap on the wrist and a 'You knucklehead, don't do that again',' he said, 'while this Marine was busted in rank, had his pay reduced and was being treated in a humiliating way.'
In a rare success, Madia reports that the Marine was retained in the Corps. He worried about the young man's treatment going forward and stayed in touch. 'I have been glad to hear from him that 'Nobody cares about that stuff'', he said.
'Which means, in my mind, that we are stumbling in the right direction. Those in uniform are more concerned with the day-to-day than with kicking out someone who someone tells us is different. That's the change in the way we think between 1994 and now.
'If someone is willing to wear the uniform and serve, who has the right to deny that person the oppportunity to serve?'
Madia is also in favor of full marriage for same-sex partners.
'For me, it isn't even about benefits, it is about .... is this question about religion or law? I'm not recommending that the Catholic church should do anything at all. But when it comes to law, why would law deny full recognition to those who want to be together?'
Madia has raised $1.5 million and attracted 400 volunteers to his race.