9/20/11
I would like to write a glowing review of yesterday, and it WAS historic, but I think the best possible thing I can say (and what actually happened) was that nothing happened. I went to work, as always, and sat in lots of long and boring meetings, as always, and went home...and that (as they way) was that.
After work, Mom and I went to a presentation at K-State put on by the LGBT group there on the history of DADT. I should have known before I went to temper my expectations--this was a presentation by civilians for civilians. In any case, I came away from it angry. Not because it was necessarily a BAD presentation, but because it was a very typical example of how those of us in the LGBT community so often think the whole movement was born two years ago. The presentation didn't mention Leonard Matlovich, the first person to fight DADT in court. It didn't mention the Log Cabin Republicans, who successfully got a judge to declare DADT un-constitutional. Didn't mention Servicemembes United, American Veterans for Equal Rights, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the Palm Center or The Service Academy Gay and Lesbian Association, all organizations that have been fighting this for more than a decade. It didn't mention Barry Winchell, the unfortunately killed "martyr" of the movement or any others. If I were a student at K-State right now, I'd think that in 1993, President Clinton put the policy in place and in 2011 it was rescinded because Dan Choi started Knights Out. (As an aside, can someone with PTSD "re-enlist", do former Commissioned Officers "re-enlist" and did Choi ever receive UCMJ for protesting in uniform?)
I guess I shouldn't be too critical becuase if there is ANY reaching out of the civilian community to the military community, that is for the best and I shouldn't make perfect the enemy of good, but still--knowing so many of the people who have fought for so long and seeing them sidelined in what is the history we are currently writing is really disapointing to me. I can at least console myself in knowing that they didn't do it for glory or attention, but simply to right a wrong...but it still hurt a little.
Anyway, afterwards, Mom and I had a skype dinner date with Peter during which my godmother called. The four of us laughed and talked for the better part of an hour about our pasts, the future and anything in between. Mom and I then went to a party at the local bar sponsored by the LGBT group again. There, I was interviewed by two young journalists. I haven't yet seen the article, but I did what I could to answer their questions honestly while still not giving them the answers the questions were clearly leading toward.
All things considered, it was a good and historic day I got to share with my Mom and Peter, and for that, I'm grateful.
After work, Mom and I went to a presentation at K-State put on by the LGBT group there on the history of DADT. I should have known before I went to temper my expectations--this was a presentation by civilians for civilians. In any case, I came away from it angry. Not because it was necessarily a BAD presentation, but because it was a very typical example of how those of us in the LGBT community so often think the whole movement was born two years ago. The presentation didn't mention Leonard Matlovich, the first person to fight DADT in court. It didn't mention the Log Cabin Republicans, who successfully got a judge to declare DADT un-constitutional. Didn't mention Servicemembes United, American Veterans for Equal Rights, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the Palm Center or The Service Academy Gay and Lesbian Association, all organizations that have been fighting this for more than a decade. It didn't mention Barry Winchell, the unfortunately killed "martyr" of the movement or any others. If I were a student at K-State right now, I'd think that in 1993, President Clinton put the policy in place and in 2011 it was rescinded because Dan Choi started Knights Out. (As an aside, can someone with PTSD "re-enlist", do former Commissioned Officers "re-enlist" and did Choi ever receive UCMJ for protesting in uniform?)
I guess I shouldn't be too critical becuase if there is ANY reaching out of the civilian community to the military community, that is for the best and I shouldn't make perfect the enemy of good, but still--knowing so many of the people who have fought for so long and seeing them sidelined in what is the history we are currently writing is really disapointing to me. I can at least console myself in knowing that they didn't do it for glory or attention, but simply to right a wrong...but it still hurt a little.
Anyway, afterwards, Mom and I had a skype dinner date with Peter during which my godmother called. The four of us laughed and talked for the better part of an hour about our pasts, the future and anything in between. Mom and I then went to a party at the local bar sponsored by the LGBT group again. There, I was interviewed by two young journalists. I haven't yet seen the article, but I did what I could to answer their questions honestly while still not giving them the answers the questions were clearly leading toward.
All things considered, it was a good and historic day I got to share with my Mom and Peter, and for that, I'm grateful.
posted by Adam at 8:17 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home