Lt. Dan Choi
Truth or Consequences
Monday, Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Clowes Memorial Hall
Admission is free, but tickets are required. They are available
in person at the Clowes Hall box office or online through
Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com;
Ticketmaster fees apply), beginning Sept. 10. For information only,
call the Clowes Hall box office, (317) 940-6444.
On March 19, 2009, Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq
veteran fluent in Arabic, announced that he was gay onThe Rachel
Maddow Show. Because of three words - "I am gay" - his 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 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.
The West Point 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. 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.
Choi continues to advocate for full lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender civil rights and veteran's health. He has served as
grand marshal of the San Francisco, N.Y. City, Miami and Wichita
LGBT Pride Parades, appeared frequently on national and
international news programs, and serves on the boards of Marriage
Equality USA and the American Foundation for Equal Rights. He is a
graduate of the U.S. Army Scout Leaders Course, Air Assault School,
Parachutist School, and is currently pursuing graduate studies at
Harvard University.