Navy Re-Enlists Gay Sailor

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Petty Officer Called Back to Active Duty After 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Dismissal

WASHINGTON, May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States Navy has
called an openly gay sailor back to active duty after dismissing him under
the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual
service personnel. According to Stars & Stripes newspaper, Petty Officer
Jason Knight 'came out' to his command and was subsequently discharged from
the Navy in 2005. Today, after being recalled to active duty, Knight is
finishing a scheduled one-year tour in Kuwait with Naval Customs Battalion
Bravo. Service members discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" are not
allowed to return to the services. The Navy has declined to comment on the
case.

"Petty Officer Knight's story shatters the myth that openly gay troops
undermine unit cohesion or morale," said Sharra E. Greer, director of law
and policy for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). "The Pentagon
knows full well that lesbians and gays are good service members. If
military leaders believe otherwise, then they need to explain why gay
troops are being called back to active duty and sent to the frontlines.
SLDN applauds the Navy for recognizing Knight's talent and qualification.
Now the time has come to allow every gay service member to serve openly,
and to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"

According to Stars & Stripes, Knight is now serving openly, and sees no
reason to hide his sexual orientation. "I spent four years in the Navy,
buried fallen service members as part of the Ceremonial Guard, served as a
Hebrew Linguist in Navy Intelligence, and received awards for exemplary
service," he wrote in a letter to the newspaper. "However, because I was
gay, the Navy discharged me and recouped my $13,000 sign-on bonus. Nine
months later, the Navy recalled me to active duty. Did I accept despite
everything that happened? Of course I did, and I would do it again. Because
I love the Navy and I love my country. And . . . my shipmates support me."

In fact, many of Knight's colleagues spoke out in support of him. "He's
better than the average sailor at his job," Bill Driver, the leading petty
officer of Knight's 15-person customs crew in Kuwait, told the paper. "It's
not at all a strange situation. As open as he is now, it was under wraps
for quite a while. It wasn't an issue at work."

"Like Petty Officer Knight, an increasing number of lesbian and gay
troops are being welcomed by their colleagues in the armed forces," said
Greer. "It is long past time for official policy to reflect the changing
attitudes within the military. Commanders do not want to lose good people
to this law and service members do not care if the men and women they work
alongside happen to be gay. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' serves no useful
purpose and should be repealed."

Petty Officer Knight's current orders call for him to be on active duty
until June. Knight told Stars & Stripes that he wants to complete that
service and is even looking for ways to return to active duty full time,
perhaps through the officers candidate school.


http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/05-07-2007/0004582318&EDATE=MON+May+07+2007,+11:09+AM

For more information, visit http://www.sldn.org.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Oh My

He's an exemplary performer, better then the average Sailor, loves the Navy and loves his country. What an incredibly evil human being. Time for the "christians" to trash him.

[Parche]

7. Navy

This is the only 'pink' submarine that I know of in the US navy..........

[sui generis]

2. so they "recouped" his 13K sign on

and called him back? I'd say Recoup Avenue is a two way street, with interest.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. exactly what I was thinking

did he get the $13 K back?

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3. this should have a lasting impact

Norfolk Naval Station ranks third in U.S. for discharging gays

August 14, 2006

Norfolk Naval Station saw more people discharged for homosexual conduct last year than all but two other military bases in the country, according to statistics from the Department of Defense.

The careers of 35 sailors ended in Norfolk in 2005 for violating military rules prohibiting homosexual activity. That's almost 20 percent of all Navy discharges - 177 - for homosexual activity last year.

The only bases with more discharges were both Army posts: Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, which had 60, and Fort Campbell in Kentucky, with 49.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=109208&ran=48179&tref=y

[Touchdown]

6. Ft. Campbell was where PFC Winchell was murdered

for being gay, and it's still #2. Don't hold your breath on that lasting impact effect.

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9. holding my breath is not the way I work to capitalize on small progresses

this can be repeated until it enables others to make similar open stands. It's a hope, but that's what we do.

[Touchdown]

5. This is good, don't get me wrong, but...

...why is it that every feel good story about a gay man at work always ends up with a straight co-worker saying "He did his job like everybody else...." I find this to be sommehow a backhanded compliment. Do they tell you straight guys in Hustler or Penthouse that gay people aren't supposed to be compenent in their selected jobs? I've heard this from a retired Gunny, about some Marine he knew to be gay, and it was the same thing..."He did his job well, and was an excellent Marine, even though he was gay, so I didn't care..." As if being gay would somehow make him take long breaks and smoke dope."

Somebody explain this to me.:wtf:

[BOSSHOG]

8. I hear ya teammate

I approach it somewhat differently. "Christians" would have us all "believe" that gays can't be productive members of the military because they are gay. That is pure bonafide bullshit and gays are proving it on a daily basis. He/she did a great job and he/she is gay so stick that up your tight fucking hateful ass and rotate. (Not referring to you but all those chickenshit cowardly chickenhawk "christians" who don't do a goddamned thing FOR our country.)

I served with a whole bunch of gays in my decades in the Navy and am proud to call them shipmates. Hell, I did pretty good myself for a straight guy.

And I have never been able to figure out why big badass straight marines and soldiers and sailors did not want to shower with gays but it was alright to shower with other straight naked guys. I guess I'm just slow.

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10. you make a valid point, but I appreciate the words of support from his mates

as I'm certain he does also

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11. kick

:kick:

[wicket]

12. How conveeeeeeeeeeenient!

:eyes: