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On March 19, 2009, Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq
veteran fluent in Arabic, announced that he was gay on The Rachel Maddow Show. Because of three words – “I am
gay” – Lt. Choi’s life changed forever. Despite his extreme value as an Arabic speaker able to communicate
quickly and clearly with the Iraqi people, one month after his announcement Lt. Dan Choi was notified that the Army had begun
discharge proceedings against him. He was one of only eight soldiers from his graduating class who majored in Arabic.
At West Point, Lt. Choi recited the Cadet Prayer every Sunday. It taught him to “choose the harder right
over the easier wrong” and to “never be content with a half truth when the whole can be won.” The Cadet
Honor Code demanded truthfulness and honesty. It imposed a zero-tolerance policy against deception, or hiding behind comfort.
Following the Honor Code isn’t always easy, but honor and integrity
are 24-hour values. That is why Lt. Choi refused to lie about his identity.
Lt. Choi
served for a decade under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: a policy that forces American soldiers to deceive and lie about
their sexual orientation and forces others to tolerate deception and lying. These values are completely opposed to what he
learned at West Point. Deception and lies poison a unit and cripple a fighting force.
Lt. Choi is committed to applying the leadership lessons he learned at West
Point. He helped form Knights Out, an organization of West Point alumni advocating for the rights of gays and lesbians to
serve openly in the military.
Lt. Choi is an inspiration to soldiers and veterans who feel isolated, alone, and
even suicidal because the torment of rejection and discrimination. His leadership training taught him that soldiers cannot
feel alone, especially in combat. Leaders must reach out. They can never diminish the fighting spirit of a soldier by
tolerating discrimination and isolation. Leaders respect the honor of service. Respecting each soldier’s service is
his personal promise.
Advocacy:
Founding member of KnightsOut: LGBT West Point Graduates
National Co-Chair of 2009 LGBT Equality March on Washington, DC
National Advisory Board of Marriage Equality USA
Speeches/Panels:
MENALIVE: Orange County Gay Men's Chorus (Mar '09)
Harvard
University: JFK School of Government (Apr '09)
UCSD: University of California San Diego (Apr '09)
Corona
Del Mar High School Production of "RENT" (Apr '09)
CSUF: California State University Fullerton (April '09)
East LA Prop 8 Day of Decision (May '09)
West Hollywood Prop 8 Day of Decision (May '09)
Beverly Hilton
Equality Protest (May '09)
Meet in the Middle Equality Rally (May '09)
OCEC: Orange County Equality Coalition
(May '09)
Rockland County NY Pride Rally (June '09)
NYC LGBT "Heritage of Pride" Rally (June
'09)
Grand Marshal of San Francisco LGBT Pride (June '09)
SF Pride Pink Triangle
Commemoration (June '09)
Community Leadership Awards Ceremony
Mayor's Press Conference
and Main Stage Rally
Los Angeles City Council LGBT Recognition (June '09)
"Silent Partners" Documentary
Screening (July '09)
"ASK NOT" Documentary Screening (July '09)
Courage Campaign: "Camp Courage"
East LA (July '09)
Rehoboth Temple Christ Conscious Church in Harlem, NYC (Aug '09)
National Stonewall Democrats
Board (Aug '09)
"The Moth" Live from The Great Hall at Cooper Union (Sep '09)
Harvard University:
Humanist Chaplaincy and HGLC (Sep '09)
Dot-2-Dot Convening of Leaders (Sep '09)
Korean-American Coalition
National Conference (Sep '09)
United States Military Academy, West Point (Sep '09)
Manhattan Young
Democrats "Top 5 Under 35" (Sep '09)
BAYMEC: Bay Area Municipal Elections Council Annual Dinner (Sep '09)
University of Utah, Salt Lake City (Oct '09)
Equality Across America: National Equality March (Oct '09)
Wreath Laying at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unkowns
Leonard Matlovich
Memorial at Congressional Cemetery
Jose Julio Sarria International Civil Rights Award
Veterans Cadence Run
Rally at the Capitol
George Washington University (Oct '09)
University
of Maryland: College Park (Oct '09)
AVER: American Veterans for Equal Rights National Convention (Oct '09)
NGLTF: National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Annual Miami Dinner (Oct '09)
Syracuse University (Oct '09)
University of Rochester (Oct '09)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) LGBT Town Hall (Oct '09)
University
of Maine (Oct '09)
Indiana University Bloomington (Nov '09)
Iowa State University (Nov '09)
"Death
to Discrimination" Los Angeles Rally (Nov '09)
Claremont-McKenna (Nov '09)
UCSF: University of California
San Francisco (Nov '09)
Courage Campaign: "Camp Courage" Sacramento (Nov '09)
University of Washington
Puget Sound (Nov '09)
Seattle Victory Rally for Referendum 71 (Nov '09)
San Francisco MCC Church Sermon
(Nov '09)
University of Pennsylvania (Nov '09)
Sestak for Senate (Dec '09)
Army-Navy Game Knights
Out Tailgate (Dec '09)
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