A Few Good Men

The contributions of gay and lesbian servicemembers often go unseen because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the sweeping pre-1993 ban on gay military personnel. Two gay veterans not invisible are Frank Kameny -- who fought in World War II before founding the Mattachine Society -- and Dan Choi, an infantry officer and Arabic linguist who came out to the world in March on The Rachel Maddow Show. Kameny was a distinguished Army soldier in Europe, and 63 years after his honorable discharge, he still speaks out on gay rights. Choi -- who currently faces discharge for his public announcement -- recently formed Knight's Out, a group of gay-supportive West Point alumni, and will soon grace the cover of Out magazine. For Veteran's Day, Kameny was gracious enough to share his 1946 honorable discharge papers (and a photo of himself back in the day), and Choi offered up the Army letter he received following his infamous Maddow appearance. Click through to the following pages to read their documents.