by Shaun Knittel - SGN Staff Writer

Army Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate, an Iraq veteran who is fluent in Arabic, and a Gay activist, spoke to over 300 people at the University of Puget Sound's Wheelock Student Center on November 10. Choi, who came out as Gay on The Rachel Maddow Show in March of this year and has been recommended for a discharge from the armed forces, has emerged as the leader on the frontlines of the battle to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), the current law prohibiting Gays from serving openly in the U.S. military.

What you may not know about Lt. Choi is that he speaks with a booming and assertive voice - and he's much taller in person than one might think. Choi's November 10 speech to a mixed audience of students, veterans and active-duty servicemembers was informative and served as a call to action to ensure that a repeal of the flawed DADT policy is realized sooner rather than later. The time for a repeal is now, he said, as the law has already ruined nearly 14,000 military careers, over 350 this year alone.

Choi has become a media draw. You've no doubt seen him on one of his many TV appearances, including The Colbert Report, Anderson Cooper 360, and ABC News, but at live speaking engagements, Choi really shines as a leader. What most impressed me about the Korean-American son of a maternity nurse and Southern Baptist Minister is his ability to tell a story. He doesn't beat the DADT horse to death; instead, he leads the audience on a journey through his childhood, military training, and the difficulties of coming out of the closet. Often making his point with humor in place of anger, as a man who is facing the loss of all his benefits and military career for proclaiming his sexual orientation, one gets the feeling that Choi is exactly who the LGBT community - and the country, for that matter - needs at this moment in the fight for Gay and Lesbian equality within the military.

Echoing the sentiments of legendary Gay activist Harvey Milk and his friend and Gay advocate Cleve Jones, Choi told the audience, "Do not hide; stand up. Coming out of the closet is a responsibility - it is an obligation. In the end, it helps all of us."

Choi was very clear that he does not hold any ill will towards the U.S. Army. On the contrary, he said, "The military taught me how to be a Gay activist." He is still technically on active duty - in other words, Choi is still fighting to stay in the military, but has no interest in a military career if he has to serve in silence.

The skilled Arabic linguist easily proves how much of an understanding of the language he has. He told a number of stories - and, at one point, a poem - in Arabic. There is no pause, no stutter; Choi commanded the language as if it were his mother tongue - a skill the Army has deemed useful as they battle an Arabic-speaking enemy on a two-front war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than a simple lecturer, Choi involves the audience and explains that there are many things people can do to ensure the policy is repealed. At one point, Choi led the audience in placing a phone call, while onstage, to Washington Congressman Norm Dicks, leaving a message on the representative's voicemail telling him to support HR 1283, the current legislation (Military Readiness Enhancement Act) calling on a repeal. This proactive stance was met with extended cheers from the audience.

"There is no honor in lying or hiding," Choi concluded. "We have to get rid of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' so the Army can live up to its ethos of 'I will not lie or tolerate those who do.'"

DADT, Choi says, makes Gay servicemembers do just that - lie - which he believes hurts the armed forces' integrity, creates a feeling of isolation among soldiers, and weakens a military unit.

Choi's roughly 90-minute University of Puget Sound appearance concluded with a question-and-answer segment where he answered questions that ranged from military service to how to improve a high school Gay Straight Alliance. He also signed autographs and posed for pictures.

"I agree that [DADT] should be repealed," a 20-year-old female Army Private First Class currently serving on active duty told SGN after Choi spoke. "However, inter-military surveys still show there is still those who disagree. I personally don't have a problem with Gays serving, but I cannot change the regulations."

Another active-duty soldier, a 21-year-old Army Specialist stationed in Washington State who attended the speech said, "I don't believe in this [DADT] policy, it shouldn't exist. I've known many Gay servicemembers and when we all served in the Middle East together, nobody asked or cared who was Gay. When it comes down to it, in combat, the only thing that matters is if that person is a good soldier or not. We trust each other with our lives - that has nothing to do with sexual orientation."

Choi recently extended his stay in the Pacific Northwest as he graciously accepted an invitation by Seattle Gay News to speak at the Referendum 71 Thank-You Rally at Westlake Center on November 14 at noon. The full-time Gay activist will make a public appearance at the Metropolitan Community Church San Francisco the following day. For more information about Dan Choi, including a full biography, upcoming speaking engagements, and contact information, visit www.ltdanchoi.com.

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