AMES, Iowa -- Less than one month after Lt. Dan Choi -- a West Point graduate, Iraq war veteran and Arabic linguist -- announced that he was gay, the U.S. Army began discharge proceedings against him for violating 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' Choi, who served honorably under that policy for 10 years, will share his story at Iowa State University on Nov. 3.
Choi's presentation, "End Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Let Gays and Lesbians Serve Their Country Honorably," will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. It is free and open to the public.
Choi graduated from West Point in 2003 with majors in Arabic language and environmental engineering. He was one of only eight in his graduating class who majored in Arabic. He attended Infantry Officer Basic Training and completed courses in airborne, air assault, Ranger, and scout leader. Choi served in the 10th Mountain Division and in South Baghdad ("The Triangle of Death") as platoon leader, company executive officer, battalion and brigade staff officer, Iraqi Arabic language instructor, and civil-military and reconstruction engineer.
On March 19, 2009, Choi announced on "The Rachel Maddow Show" that he was gay, changing his life forever. Despite his value as an Arabic speaker, the Army ended his military career with the National Guard.
In an April 23 letter to President Barack Obama, Choi wrote that the discharge is "a slap in the face. It is a slap in the face to me. It is a slap in the face to my soldiers, peers and leaders who have demonstrated that an infantry unit can be professional enough to accept diversity, to accept capable leaders, to accept skilled soldiers. My subordinates know I'm gay. They don't care. They are professional."
Choi has since co-founded Knights Out, an organization of West Point alumni advocating for the rights of gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. He has become a national spokesman against the military's policy.
Choi's talk is cosponsored by the LGBT Student Services Center; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Ally Alliance; Margaret Sloss Women's Center; George Gund Fund; and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by the Government of the Student Body.
