The Pentagon ordered the military to begin accepting openly gay recruits yesterday, and the Daily News reports at least three openly gay recruits who were kicked out of the military have applied for service again. They include Lt. Dan Choi, the former New York National Guardsman who was discharged after he announced his sexual orientation, and the Grand Marshal in the 2010 Gay Pride Parade. He enlisted at the Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square (video below), and took his application as an opportunity to speak his mind about DADT. He wrote:
I was discharged in 7/2010 from the US Army because I told the truth about my sexual orientation and refused to lie about my cherished lover and partner. I do not intend to lie about my identity or family in any portion of my service.
He later wrote on Twitter, "Missed 3 verbal and 5 math questions. I passed!" He told NY1, “This means so many things. Not just being able to fulfill my commitment and to continue serving, but when I take a look at it in a broader context, I have a newfound faith in our government. That at least one branch of the government is on the side of the Constitution, is on the side of the people and the movement of the people to restore the Constitution." However, there may still be some problems.
Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith says recruiters have been told to inform applicants that the moratorium on enforcement could be reversed at any moment, and some gay rights groups have used that information to discourage service members from coming out. But both new recruits and veterans are applauding the decision. One openly gay veteran said, "Back then, if I would've come out I would've been killed, I would've been thrown overboard. Today, there's no such thing, they don't care, old farts care."
