Openly Gay Sailor Recalled to Active Duty
Posted on | May 5, 2007
Naval Petty Officer Third Class Jason Knight came out as gay in 2004, and was promptly discharged honorably. However:
But now — whether through a clerical oversight or what some claim is an unwritten change in policy to keep more gay servicemembers in the ranks at a time of war — Jason Knight is back on active duty.
Since promoted to petty officer second class, Knight is finishing a scheduled one-year tour in Kuwait with Naval Customs Battalion Bravo. And, already kicked out of the Navy once, he sees no need to hide his sexual orientation.
“I thought it was a joke at first,” he said, remembering the day he received his recall orders. “It was the ultimate kick in the ass. But then I thought, there isn’t much they can do to me they haven’t done the first time.”
It was comments by Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that spurred Knight to come out publicly a second time. In defending the military’s policy, Pace called homosexual acts immoral and contrary to military values.
“Though I respect [Pace] as a leader, it made me so mad,” Knight said.
He’s been serving—again—for nearly a year, and the sky has not fallen. Since America’s new military now welcomes openly-gay service members, isn’t it time to get rid of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? Too late, bigots! All your stated “reasons” for supporting discrimination have now been dashed.
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