Interview 3 with Lt. Dan Choi:
Riese: So will you tell us what you are doing now, in your life?
Lt. Dan Choi: Right now I’m an advocate, I’m a fighter for all the people that are discriminated against. It’s another word for unemployed, [laughs] a long-winded way of saying that I don’t have a job!
Riese: Have you been trying to have a conversation with Obama?
Dan: Well I’ve written an open letter to him, to every member of Congress. I actually got to shake hands with the highest ranking military man in American, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen, a couple days ago. I was at the congressional hearing, a very boring hearing, and they didn’t talk about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, they’re sort of in the closet about it themselves. But I got to shake [Mullen’s] hand at the end and tell him, “I’m getting kicked out under DADT, it’s an honor to meet you” and he said, “Yeah, I’ve been reading the news, I’ve sort of heard about you.”
So it was interesting to see that our leaders are actually paying attention and that they are listening. And it’s only a matter of telling them and they’ll listen. So this DADT is a bygone era, we have to tell, we have to ask. We have to be out there, we have to stand up and they will listen, and we are gonna get into a dialogue and make America better. But I think that just the fact that I want to serve, and I portrayed that to him, you know, I told him I want to serve, I want to continue being in the army, in the military, and I understand if the law is gonna force me out, and I understand if I have to get kicked out, but once the law gets repealed I will be the first one in the recruiting station raising my right hand again saying, you know, I want to serve. I mean, West Point gave me all the education and the training that I have, so why wouldn’t I continue using that for my country?
Riese: Yeah I really like what you said in the letter about the honor code, and how they tell you not to lie but yet they told you to lie, I thought that was really well put.
Dan: Exactly. And the honor code is not for straight cadets or straight soldiers, it’s good for all soldiers. And the travesty is that it, the different code, the DADT discrimination code, is saying that it’s okay, it’s actually policy for gays to lie, it’s actually being forced upon them and so, that not being an army value, not being part of the Warrior Ethos, that’s part of why Americans, all Americans, should be ashamed and overturn the law right now.
Riese: Right. Are you optimistic about that happening soon?
Dan: Of course, Americans want to do the right thing. They see that we are at a time of war, and it doesn’t take them too long to realize that what they are doing to our soldiers, putting them through not only lying and hiding but basically being in the closet, which as I can tell them personally, I tell everybody personally including all my commanders and leaders in government and my friends and my family, I tell everybody, being in the closet is the most toxic poison, it is a disease, it cripples, and why would force that on soldiers who have a hard enough time as it is?
Riese: Yeah, absolutely. [to Matthew Kinsey, Dan’s boyfriend] How has this been for you? Am I allowed to ask you that? [Matthew and Riese are laughing]
Matthew: Pretty eye opening. [laughing] Definitely! I think, I mean, one of the reasons I fell in love with Dan is because you know, who he is, and his heart and his sincerity, and the genuineness, it just comes out even just speaking to you right now.
Riese: Yes, right. Absolutely. You can definitely see that.
Matthew: And you know when I told him I loved him and he could be vulnerable and I would continue to love him I didn’t realize [laughing] he was going to take it to the world stage-
[basically everyone is laughing now]
Dan: Well you should never hide love…
Matthew: But I think that’s right. I think what he’s saying is, just like a family, this is just a microcosm of families and society today. Like, you know, [referring to Dan] like you said before, the military should reflect the people it serves. And this is basically what we are saying. And I’ve never necessarily been an activist before but, you know, Dan’s, you know, encouraging that and…
Riese: True love has its price!
Matthew: Exactly! Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it… [Dan and Matthew laugh]
Riese: Well it’s great. Thank you for everything that you’re doing and it’s an honor to meet you.
Dan: Thank you.
Matthew: Likewise. It’s our pleasure.
Haviland: Thank you so much. Thank you for everything you’re doing, really. And can I just say that you guys are a BEAUTIFUL couple? Beautiful.
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must. read. this. before. bed. ! Maybe rachel will be keeping tabs aon her boy dan and happen upon this, and then hang out with you guys and make you drinks. maybe.
oh, i’m so proud to be a part of this team.
I second that.
Well at least part of the intern team? Or are we all considered part of the whole? haha
well technically the interns are part of our military intern army, which has a very strict do ask do tell policy. but the army is part of the overall team, because the team is autostraddle, which is like the country equivalent of this analogy, which is brilliant, so brilliant that i must stop right now!
wait, are we disciplining interns over homosexual conduct? that’d be amazing.
Please edit out Lt. Choi interview from the rest of video. It is very important content! Excellent interview should be featured!
This website has easily become one of my favorites. Whether its the glbt related news stories, interviews, or just pictures of hot girls. you all do a wonderful job :)
I am really really glad you decided to go, yet sad I couldn’t but this is fan-freakin-tastic. This type of stuff is the reason I believe even bigger stuff is going to happen for you guys in the very near future.
ps- My day feels at a loss if I don’t get to check this website daily – as I learned last week on my moving day. (and that was the hot 100 day!)This is probably not healthy
wow – that video made me soo happy. Thank you for this amazing article!
this is awesome, well done to you guys for going! dan choi and his boyfriend are ace, DADT is so bloody ridiculous it makes my head hurt!
The video was awesome! This was great – thanks for getting out there and doing the roving reporting.
Dan choi is amazing and cute as hell!
His boyfriend kind of looks like Mike Stipe but with hair!
Love the article and the video and Haviland is back, yay!
I was totally distracted by the Reverend’s teeth! He seems decent enough though!
Autostraddle <3
dan choi is absolutely delightful :)
everyday i love more what autostraddle is evolving into.. you should be very proud of yourselves!
The second preacher-man you talked to had some pretty scary lookin’ dudes around him. You girls are fearless!
I’m sure you can’t say, but I’d love to know what fake names you used.
Re: fake names… your guess is as good as mine! don’t recall, some play or other off of our actual first and last names.
I’d just assumed you ladies had readymade aliases you use all the time a la Regina Phalange.
This is so funny! “If there is a storm gathering, we would like to be there with the white knights/horsemen and so forth, I hear the apocalypse is a totally crazy laser-light show!!” LOL Great video, wonderful article! I heart Autostraddle!
So. So. So. So. So. PROUD!!!
The end of that video may have possibly made me mist up a little in my ocular region…and by “possibly” I mean “totally”.
Eeek great video. :)
Thanks for covering it.
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“I may have thought a few times of Tasha & Alice, because I have chapstick for brains.”
by far the gayest thing I’ve heard/read you say/type. i mean really Riese, chapstick? homo!
Awesome video. His goons look scary but considering how you gals easily outwitted them, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. I see a future career in investigative reporting.
Congratulations on the video, it was fantastic. Taking it to the streets! I want to see more of this ( and not just b/c I miss NYC something Fierce)
GREAT video… i’m so happy you guys went out there. their counter-arguments were crap. “we respect the rights of gay people” but no marriage for them!!! how can they expect to win in the end when they can’t come up with one solid way that gay marriage affects them? can’t wait for them to “lose” more states!
and the second dude who just kept waving off your accusation that there were hate signs all over the place! closing your eyes and waving your arms won’t make them go away, dude!
so I wanted to see if this would come out bold