On the heels of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ( DADT ) being repealed, I decided to reach out to Lt. Dan Choi for his remarks and opinions. I was curious about how the openly gay service member-turned-activist regarded the end result.
When I asked about how he felt about the repeal, Choi said, "I'm excited, but…we still have a long way to go if we want this repeal to be equal in magnitude to 1948, when Harry Truman's executive order 9981 sought equal treatment and equal opportunity."
Personally speaking, I do not mind if someone is playing agent provocateur if the actions bring about substantive change, but the more I sit in deep thought, the more I am beginning to think that this comparison is nothing more than hyperbole for its own sake.
The tone of our conversation turned to President Obama. Choi did not feel he needed to censor his comment about the elites in Washington, D.C. making the decision to compromise the repeal by stripping the non-discrimination language of DADT. His statement was relayed with an irritation that was surprising, but I didn't know Choi and wondered if perhaps this was his style.
I wondered if history was being rewritten out of his personal frustration. Obama promised that he would repeal DADT, right? Was it really that complex? In writing this today, I wasn't sure that I needed to answer that question but, for the record … yes. I am sure many others have witnessed how difficult any work being done in Washington has been with a lack of bipartisan bullshit we have witnessed on so many issues, not just regarding this repeal.
The story of Choi was that he came out, and then was discharged. Because of that discharge, he chose to do what he felt spoke to his heart about his activism. No one forced him to take that action. I would think he would feel very proud for his part, but the irritation that I heard in Choi's voice was palpable; his annoyance towards our president was not what I would have anticipated when so many are seeing this repeal as a victory.
I heard on The Rachel Maddow Show that Choi was thinking of re-enlisting. ( For the record I did not get that quote directly from Choi during our brief interview in which he went from being amicable in one moment to cutting me off the next ) . I do understand Choi is not pleased about the discrimination language of the repeal not being in place and feeling like it was a compromise. Yes, it was a compromise. It appears that compromise is not an option for Choi.
In all candor I ask: Do we really think that serving openly is going to be met with acceptance and tolerance throughout the armed forces? There will always be those that will not do "the right thing" and homophobia is not going to be cured by the repeal of DADT. It is going to take ongoing education for true equality and understanding to occur.
I am mindful of a quote that speaks volumes for what is needed as we work toward the desired goal of full equality and understanding … with measured compromise:
"The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak, is to support the rights of people you don't agree with."—Eleanor Holmes Norton
Charlene Strong is a human rights commissioner in Washington state, subject of the award-winning documentary for my wife—and co-editor of The Seattle Lesbian ( www.theseattlelesbian.com ) .
