Nearly a year ago, speaking on the ongoing policy negotiations on Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal, Lt. Dan Choi said in a statement:?
"My question still remains ... When exactly will the discharges stop?"Now, months after DADT was declared "repealed" we're still asking, when will the discharges end?
Today, Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek Morado, after six years of service to the Navy, faces a discharge hearing because he is gay.
From Lt Choi's video statement.?
"My question still remains, and I've yet to find anyone who signed off on yesterday's compromise able to give me a direct answer to, 'When exactly will the discharges stop?,' Until the President signs the papers that fully and immediately end the firing of patriotic, gay and lesbian service members, then there is no cause for celebration and no reason to trumpet mission accomplished for a job not yet done.Lt. Choi was right to be concerned.?The discharges are ongoing to this day.?My concern here is for my fellow soldiers serving in uniform and how this law will affect them. We've heard a lot of talk about how this compromise can work politically, but on the day this passes Congress, no one has been able to explain how this will have any impact at all on those of us serving in uniform."
The gay community has been sold a bill of goods. The circumstances of Derek Morado's case no way align with the "kinder, gentler" Don't Ask, Don't Tell we had been told would be effective immediately.?The process started for him on November 8, 2009, when someone anonymously outed him after seeing his MySpace page.
It's too late for Lt. Choi. He got his discharge papers in July. It isn't too late for Derek Morado.?Please add your name to your protest petition. We should be better nation than this. This is a disgrace.?