Interesting turn of events.
Dan Choi, mostly known as a staunch advocate for DADT, is running for a spot on SF College board. Dan has been out of the limelight since his trail and public breakdown.
Now, he's back entering politics. Here is his reason for running:
Dan has decided to channel his energies towards revitalizing the City College of San Francisco. As a dedicated student throughout his schooling, he has a passion for learning and education. Dan wants to see that all CCSF students have access to an enriching education as to provide them with the tools they need to achieve their goals both inside and outside of the classroom. Aware of the structural and economic issues facing the CCSF educational system, Dan is driven to be a part of the solution.We will watching to see how this goes for Dan
LT Choi, who was discharged from the Army in July 2010 for being a homosexual, is an interesting case as his discharge was long overdue for many reasons.
ReplyDelete1LT Dan Choi (O-2) was a poor performer as evidenced by the fact when he came out in March 2009 on the Rachel Maddow show he was not a Captain O-3. To hear Maddow and others talk this was one of the best officers the Army had.
After graduating West Point in 2003 he was on active duty in the Army for five years. An officer gets to O-3 pretty much automatically at year four after being commissioned; the promotion rate is “almost” 100 percent. Thus when he came out that he was gay he had probably been passed over for promotion to O-3 at least twice. In 2008 he left active duty and joined the National Guard. It is highly likely he was released from active duty due to his having been passed over for promotion to O-3.
Anyone not promoted to O-3 is a poor performer and their career is over whether it be on active duty or the Guard. This is even more shocking since Choi graduated from West Point, which usually gives you a leg up. Choi apparently did not think his chances of making O-3 in the Guard were very good or he would have waited until he made Captain and the come out as a gay man. He may have even been passed over for promotion to O-3 in the Guard.
Choi's being a poster child for gay rights is probably making him a large chunk of money and the longer he can keep his face in the news he can probably pull in a six figure income each year. All in all a pretty good deal for a poor performing officer. If he was heterosexual no one would care if he was discharged for failing to be promoted or for some other reason poor performance basis. If he had ever been able to get himself reinstated as an officer he would then probably argued the next time he was passed over for promotion to O-3 it was due to his being gay.
In addition to LT Choi’s poor military performance, Choi has been arrested several times for disorderly conduct at rallies in opposition to "don't ask" and other anti-gay policies during 2009 and 2010 while a member of the National Guard.
In March 2010 he was arrested - WHILE IN UNIFORM - in Washington, DC for handcuffing himself to a White House fence. Prosecutors dropped charges against him without explanation after he said he would subpoena President Obama if his case went to trial.
If any other military member had done that while wearing his uniform he would have been court-martialed. Homosexuals now have special rights that heterosexual soldiers do not have.
Commander Wayne L. Johnson, JAGC, Navy (Retired)
Alexandria, VA