Daily Trojan USC.edu

Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Quincy Dein | Daily Trojan Writing to be heard | Ben Hunter, left, and Aron Ramakrishnan hand-write letters to California representatives Sunday night asking them to repeal the 1994 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy.

Students spoke out against a policy rooted in silence Sunday evening, writing letters urging congressional representatives to reverse the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The letter-writing campaign was held as part of a series of events commemorating the Oct. 11 National Coming Out Day. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Assembly and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center have planned a monthlong celebration of coming out events.

The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, approved by President Bill Clinton in 1993, prohibits armed servicemen and women from engaging in homosexual acts or declaring their homosexuality while in service. The stated rationale behind the policy is that openly homosexual servicepeople would compromise military "morale, discipline and unit cohesion."

Fifteen students came together at Century Apartments to hand-write letters to local congressmen, urging them to pass The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would replace "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" with a policy that does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Congress failed to pass an identical bill in 2005.

Information packets containing sample templates for the letters and a list of congressional representatives from Los Angeles were provided by The Human Rights Campaign, a national organization promoting gay rights. Students specifically targeted those congressmen and congresswomen who have not supported the bill, asking them to reconsider.

"This event was somewhat symbolic, but I think it will let people out there know we want change," said Jose Diaz, a junior majoring in communication. "All of this stuff affects us. You see the ROTC presence on campus. These are our brothers and sisters out there fighting, and we should care about the rights of those who are protecting our rights."

Diaz, who works for a California representative, said that while legislators receive many letters any given day, the ones that are hand-written demonstrate the most interest because they show genuine effort instead of just copying and pasting.

Some students said their interest in sparking debate on the issue was influenced by the war in Iraq and upcoming 2008 presidential election.

"When we first brought up DADT as a possible theme, it was at first lighthearted," said Vincent Vigil, director of GLBT Resource Center and a USC alumnus. "Then we realized this is a hot topic that will draw students from outside the gay community."

Vigil said attaching a political issue to the annual coming out events has attracted a more diverse crowd of participants, including more heterosexual students than in years past.

Some students said they hope the events illuminate issues affecting the GLBT community and foster tolerance and support on campus.

"I've seen people walk up to the [DADT] display case in Student Union, stopping to scowl or shake their heads," said Armando Quiroz, the resident adviser for the GLBT-themed Rainbow Floor and a junior majoring in economics.

Though there has been a sharp decrease in sexual orientation-related military discharges reported since 2001, more than 600 service members were discharged in 2006 because they were openly gay.

One such service member was Los Angeles resident Christi Carver, who was 19 years old in 1983 when she was kicked out of basic training in the Army because of her relationship with another servicewoman.

"There were many other gays serving alongside me," said Carver, who did not attend USC and was not at the event. "When I came out, I was shunned by almost everyone else and had to stay within my small group of supporters who were also gay.

"My officer offered to pull just my security clearance, which effectively means no combat and four years of kitchen duty. I decided to take my partially paid bus ticket back home," she said.

While Carver and others have spoken out through their stories and experiences, many currently serving, including ROTC members, are hesitant to come out on the issue.

Vigil said that some ROTC members at USC are involved with GLBTA. He said he provides these students with resources through the center while protecting their identities and ensuring they are not featured in any photos posted by the center.

ROTC declined an invitation of partnership with GLBTA made over the summer on the month's events, Vigil said.

Though the programming has taken on a political tune, Vigil said he has tried to be nonpartisan in discussing the military, aiming to inform members of the USC community of issue. Other events have included a Oct. 3 candlelight vigil which honored the more than 3,828 U.S. troops who have died in Iraq as well as the estimated 65,000 gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans currently serving in the armed forces, and an Oct. 4 panel discussion on the history and implications of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

"We want students to be proud both of their LGBT identity and of America," Vigil said.

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