Update: Dan Choi gets to DADT signing, and gets his West Point ring back
Sen. Harry Reid returns Choi's ring (Courtesy of Reid's office); and Choi shows it off. (Courtesy of Choi)
In a vivid moment of political theater at a conference last summer, Lt. Dan Choi -- a combat vet discharged from the Army after acknowledging he's gay -- handed his West Point ring to Sen. Harry Reid. The majority leader promised to return it when "don't ask, don't tell" was repealed. After dropping a Twitter hint this week, Choi scored an invitation to President Obama's bill-signing Wednesday... then closed the loop that afternoon in a meeting at Reid's office, where the senator gladly handed him his ring. Story over? Not for Choi: "The next time I get a ring from a man," he tweeted later, "I expect it to be for full, equal, American marriage."
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| December 22, 2010; 3:01 PM ET
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“The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” - Martin Luther King
According to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Choi was among 59 gay Arabic linguists, (plus 9 gay Farsi linguists) who faced discharge from the U.S. military from 2004 through 2009 due to DADT. What a huge loss of talent due to discrimination.
Since his discharge, Lt. Choi has been arrested for multiple protests and even went on a hunger strike...all because he wanted to serve this country without having to lie about who he is.
After being treated as a second-class citizen and the eventual repeal of DADT, Lt. Choi still wants to serve the USA. His request is being processed.
Lt. Choi is an example of a true patriot. This is wonderful news for America!
Posted by: Just_Breathe | December 22, 2010 6:20 PM | Report abuse
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