Last week, Lt. Dan Choi, a gay National Guard platoon leader, received word that he was being discharged from the military. Here's video of Choi being interviewed last week by Rachel Maddow: Kicked Out Of Army For Being Gay.
Choi, a 2003 West Point graduate and fluent speaker of Arabic who served an extended combat deployment in Iraq, is among 38 West Point graduates who came out of the closet in March with an offer to help the military recognize the contributions of gay military members.
Look, the guy is obviously an upstanding, qualified soldier with an impressive service record, regardless of sexual orientation. Isn't the U.S. military denying itself of critical skills and experience by discharging Choi and other soldiers like him?
I guess I'm not surprised. The guy chose to stand up, go public and do the right thing, and this is what he gets -- a letter of dismissal. This is America, after all. "Don't ask, don't tell" has got to go: Obama, activists lose momentum over 'don't ask'.
UPDATE: And how about Second Lieutenant Sandy Tsao, who not only came out to her chain of command, but also wrote a letter to President Obama... and received a hand-written reply! More here: Two Gay Asian American Service Members at the Forefront of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" Fight.
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