Panel wants openly gay guardsman discharged

A military review panel recommended Tuesday that National Guard Lt. Dan Choi, the gay Arabic translator who became a national figure in fighting the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy after declaring his sexuality on television, be discharged from the service.

The four-member Federal Recognition Board of Army officers in Syracuse, N.Y., had no recommendation Tuesday for how the 28-year-old should be discharged.

It’s recommendation that the Army no longer recognize Choi as an officer must be approved by the First Army commander and the chief of the National Guard Bureau before Choi would be discharged.

See Panel wants openly gay guardsman discharged San Francisco Chronicle -

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

Published by

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/panel-wants-o…

Colbert Debates Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell In Front Of Audience Of Active Troops

Stephen Colbert took on a formidable opponent last night in the debate over allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces: Himself. After an intro from George H.W. Bush and brief plug for Amp energy drink, Colbert One told Colbert Two that his gay Arabic translator had been fired, bringing the total to 59 in the past 5 years.
Colbert Two took a pro-gay stance, whereas Colbert One defended the army’s choice to fire these men. The segment was funny and intriguing, but Colbert (as a whole) seemed unwilling to take a hard stance on the issue while performing in front of an audience of active troops.
In the past Colbert has mocked “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in his typical pompous fashion, with much harsher rhetoric. See Colbert Debates Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell In Front Of Audience Of Active Troops

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

Published by

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/colbert-debat…

Lt. Dan Choi, Gay Arabic Translator Discharged From Army, Gives Speech

Nearly a hundred protesters assembled Wednesday outside the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, CA where President Obama hosted a Democratic Party fundraiser.
Protest organizers called for Obama to repeal the government’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that exempts openly gay men and women from serving in the military.
Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and an Arabic translator, was discharged from the Army when he declared he was gay on national television. His conviction that the military’s policy is “a deadly poison” inspired him to lead the protest on Wednesday.
“There is a message that I want to give to Obama,” said Choi. “Stop forcing our soldiers to hide. Let them be free to serve.”
Undeterred by Tuesday’s decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold the ban on gay marriage passed by voters in November, Choi said to the crowd, “We can’t wait for somebody else to give us rights…. if we want rights, we have to fight for it. We have to earn it.” Choi ended his speech the same way it began, chanting, “Love is worth it.”
Pro-peace and anti-torture protesters took part in the demonstration as well. See Lt. Dan Choi, Gay Arabic Translator Discharged From Army, Gives Speech

Published by

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/lt-dan-choi-g…

WATCH: Reporter Calls Out Obama Administration’s DADT Hypocrisy At Briefing

Today’s Briefing Room MVP: Is this guy! Whoever he is, he expertly brought Jon Stewart’s satire into the briefing room, asking Gibbs how President Obama could withhold detention photos, citing the safety of Americans, whilst refusing to champion the cause of a translator discharged from his duty on the basis of being openly gay.