Lt. Dan Choi Hospitalized

Lt. Dan Choi, a gay veteran and public face of the battle to end “don’t ask, don’t tell,” has been hospitalized and is receiving professional mental health care at a Veterans Administration facility.

Pam Spaulding and Autumn Sandeen reported the news Choi shared with them Tuesday on the blog, Pam’s House Blend. In his e-mail, he referred to the most recent setback last week in the fight to end the military policy.

“I did not initially want to publicize this but I now realize it is critical for our community to know several things: veterans gay or straight carry human burdens, Activists share similar burdens, no activist should be portrayed as super human, and the failures of government and national lobbying carry consequences far beyond the careers and reputations of corporate leaders, elected officials, High powered lobbyists, or political elites,” wrote Choi. “They ruin lives. My breakdown was a result of a cumulative array of stressors but there is no doubt that the composite betrayals felt on Thursday, by elected leaders and gay organizations as well as many who have exploited my name for their marketing purposes have added to the result. I am certain my experience is not an isolated incident within the gay veteran community.”



Read more from Spaulding and Sandeen here.