NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR
DAN CHOI
It almost didn’t happen at all. When Lt. Choi was first approached by a producer for The Rachel Maddow Show for a segment on Knights Out, a group for gay West Point students and alumni, he initially declined, thinking someone else should go. But he did appear on the show—and the audio mysteriously dropped out shortly after he said “I am gay” and explained that those three words could end his career under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” He came on again the next night, and though he was articulate and moving, the Arab linguist didn’t stand out as an exceptional speaker.
Fast forward to the National Equality March in October. He came to the podium in full uniform (he was kicked out of the military in May) with a large piece of duct tape over his mouth, turned and saluted the crowd, then ripped off the tape. His five-minute speech was built around the theme “Love is worth it!” which became a dramatic refrain. By now, he had graduated from spokesman to orator, with other compelling passages like “The era and the time for asking is over…. I am telling, I am telling, I am telling. Will you tell with me?”
He’s been asked to run for office, but for now, between speeches at gay rights events, he remains active with Knights Out. “We’re not going to wait for someone else to act,” he says. Choi has paid a price for not waiting to tell, but in the process he has made all of us stand up just a bit taller.
