Sitting firm against "don't ask, don't tell"

“Knock, knock."

"Who's there?"

"Don't ask. Don't tell.”

No one is laughing.

After 13 years, it is time to end the silence created by the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which forbids openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the armed forces. For thousands of gay, lesbian, and bisexual soldiers already serving, silence and invisibility are essential to survival. Despite being courageous defenders of humanity, these service members are forced to deny their own identity. They exist in an inverted reality where deceit is mandatory, truth is illegal, and abuse is their compensation. The pain of secrecy is only eclipsed by the fear of expulsion.

But, help is on the way: I will not be silent or invisible.

In Philadelphia on August 1, I attempted to enlist in the United States Army as a proud gay man, but I was turned away. The recruitment supervisor courteously informed me and two others that I was “morally and administratively ineligible to serve my country,” when we tried to sign up, sincerely intending to serve if accepted.

The sergeant's poignant words only reinforced my resolve and confirmed my resilience. Upon leaving the center, I was greeted by heartfelt words of appreciation and encouragement from the media and friends. As it turns out, Philadelphia residents agree that my right to serve is no laughing matter.

Despite our genuine desire to serve and our proven aptitude, rejection has been the unvarying outcome thus far of our attempts to enlist. Our refusal to misrepresent ourselves has disqualified us as military recruits, but my story and those of others like me are not yet over. When we are rejected, we will rally support and conduct a sit-in to protest this government-sanctioned discrimination.

So far, capable and competent openly gay young adults in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee have tried to enlist in various branches of the military, but we are just the beginning of a chain of events that are about to increase nationwide.

Twenty-seven additional cities are going to join us in this Soulforce-led campaign called the Right to Serve. We hope that our bold efforts in the Right to Serve will inspire young adults in other communities to follow suit.

Such an effort is unprecedented. Never before have so many gay young people challenged this law in an organized effort by sincerely attempting to enlist while refusing to compromise our integrity and lie as a condition of service. We are solid in our commitment to do justice and refuse to acquiesce to legalized oppression. Recruitment centers may allow us to sit in for a week, or they may have us arrested after 20 minutes. We accept what risks come, whether financial or social. When it is a justice issue, we cannot take no for an answer. Truth fears no trial.

In unison with judicial advocacy and efforts to lobby Congress, our campaign is a national endeavor to bring into existence an inclusive military that does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and honors the service of all its members. We are hoping to bring attention to the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a bill in the House that, if passed by the House and Senate and signed into law, would lift the ban on openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual service.

Prior to 1993, the reigning mind-set was that homosexuality was totally incompatible with military service. Anyone suspected of being gay, lesbian, or bisexual, was investigated and subsequently prosecuted. Current law, however, dictates that service members face investigation and discharge only if they "disclose their sexuality or engage in homosexual conduct." The attempt to marry someone of the same gender, for example, qualifies as grounds for removal.

Since the law's inception, more than 11,000 individuals have been discharged under '"don't ask, don't tell," including skilled linguists, medical specialists, and combat engineers. Ideally, laws exist to guarantee liberty, maintain order, and promote societal betterment. But this intolerant policy is destructive, costly, and immoral. It embodies the notion that LGBT people are inferior and, as such, should be treated like second-class citizens. And worst of all, it is sanctioned by the federal government.

We are taking this to Congress through the American people because we need the indignation and support of the public at large to lift this ban. The young adults spearheading this campaign ask you to be involved, not just because we need dollars or bodies, but because we need your voice and your vote and your sense of justice.

Thirteen years is long enough; 2006 is late enough. It is time for our rights and our humanity to be taken seriously by our government and our fellow citizens. The issue of "don't ask, don't tell" is the next avenue for us to make inroads toward achieving LGBT equality.