Lt Dan Choi has been served with a collection notice, asking him to repay $2,519.18 left on his service contract, which was prematurely terminated when it became publicly known he was gay.
In a open letter to the President he says:
I still find myself on a domestic battlefield for basic dignity as an American citizen. I know I am not alone in this fight because of the desperate cries for help I get from discharged, unemployed, discriminated, and suicidal veterans.
He says he's not paying. Full letter after the fold.
Dear Mr. President:
Today I received a $2,500 bill from your Defense Department Finance and Debt Services. Specifically, you claim payment for "the unearned portion" of my Army contract. Six months after my discharge under the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy I have tried to move forward with my life, and I was inspired by your clarion calls for our progress as one nation towards a more just society. I have served my country in combat and I have tried to live my life by the values I learned at West Point in continued service to our nation. To move forward in my own life I have finally sought treatment for Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), Insomnia, and Depressive Disorder from the Veterans Affairs Department. But I still find myself on a domestic battlefield for basic dignity as an American citizen. I know I am not alone in this fight because of the desperate cries for help I get from discharged, unemployed, discriminated, and suicidal veterans. I have felt all of their same pains personally. Today I also witness the disgrace of a country that perpetually discovers methods to punish its own citizens for taking a moral stand.
By flagrantly and repeatedly violating an immoral law, I have flagrantly and repeatedly saluted the honor of America's promise. At West Point, when we recited the Cadet Prayer we reminded ourselves "always to choose the harder right over the easier wrong." It would be easy to pay the $2500 bill and be swiftly done with this diseased chapter of my life, where I sinfully deceived and tolerated self-hatred under Don't Ask Don't Tell. Many thousands have wrestled with their responsibilities and expedient solutions when confronted with issues of this magnitude. I understand you also wrestle with issues of our equality. But I choose to cease wrestling, to cease the excuses, to cease the philosophical grandstanding and ethical gymnastics of political expediency in the face of moral duty. My obligations to take a stand, knowing all the continued consequences of my violations, are clear.
I refuse to pay your claim.
Respectfully,
Dan Choi
Former Army First Lieutenant
West Point Class of 2003
Attached:
DFAS Account Statement 12/20/2010 (2 pages)
Also published to twitter @ltdanchoi
He certainly could have paid the $2,500 easily enough. But he's right, he's not alone in his fight for the basic dignity as an American citizen. The issue of the financial penalties that gay and lesbian service members suffer certainly is one that could use a national spotlight on it. It is a systematic problem.
Consider the unresolved case of Cadet Mara Boyd, who's in default of $30,000:
In June 2003, the highly regarded cadet was drummed out of the officer training program and deemed "unfit for service" because of homosexual conduct. To add insult to injury, the government also demanded she repay her college scholarships and book stipends, now totaling $30,000... for her sophomore and junior years. Despite the efforts of Colorado University administrators and then-Rep. Mark Udall in asking the Air Force ROTC to forgive Boyd’s debt, Brig. Gen. Michael Hankins, who supervised the nationwide programs denied the move. Hankins declined to comment on the matter.
Boyd initially made payments on her $30,000. But, understandably, resented the monthly painful reminder of a difficult chapter in her life. She ultimately decided to stop paying.
Also unresolved is pay discrimination case snaking its way through Federal Court. US Air Force Staff Sargent Richard Collins, with the assistance of the ACLU, is suing the Department of Defense for discrimination. The DOD has had a policy of cutting gay servicemembers discharge pay in half. First instituted in 1991, it is unrelated to the law of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and merely a DOD regulation that could have changed at any time, at the whim of the administration. The Federal lawsuit was filed after negotiations between ALCU, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and the Obama Department of Defense went nowhere.
Perhaps this move by Choi will spur the powers that be to finish up the job and address the unjust compensation policies that have penalized LGB servicemembers and relieve some financial burdens for our troops and veterans.
Update: A spontaneous action item has popped up. chipoliwog, pamelabrown and others have sent letters of support to the White House. kerplunk provides this link to the web contact form, thank you.
Update 2: This comment on the Village Voice blog made me laugh. I pretty well sums up the situation:
Stay classy, America!