About a month ago, after nine months of dealing with your agent, I received an e-mail directly from you. In short, you basically said that the only way I could get you to speak is if I raised enough money to bring you to Tech. No deals, no compromises, end of story. […] I’ve lost all respect for you as a gay- and human-rights activist. You, sir, have lost sight in one of those many $10,000 checks written to you, of why you came out and became an activist in the first place. Remember, Lt. Choi? LOVE IS WORTH IT. LOVE is worth cutting a deal to poor college kids in an extremely conservative city who’s only desire is to make headway in their community. LOVE is worth sacrificing money to give my friends and others who are currently serving in silence the hope to remember they are worth it. Love isn’t made by money. Love isn’t made by your agent, Alec Melman. Love isn’t tangible when you’re suffocated by greed as you are. Love is constantly flowing through the heart and brain. Love is giving. Love isn’t defined by financial status, color, gender, creed, age or sexual orientation. Your definition of love is no longer my definition of love.
—Nonnie Ouch, president of Texas Tech University’s Gay-Straight Alliance, clearly upset about being unable to secure Lt. Dan Choi without paying him a speaking fee [via]
EARLIER:
Should We Fault Dan Choi For Earning Some Cash For Being An Activist?
JonnyJ
Choi is interested in promoting Choi. He doesn’t speak for me or the LGBT Community. He needs to get a job as a security guard and stop grandstanding.
I read that he has made $82,000 this year from speaking engagements. How much have you made?
This is a weasel deal. Choi is dismissed. He re-enlisted in 2009 (NY National Guard) just to create a career of activism. He should be ashamed and we should be very disappointed.
Activism for Cash?
@JonnyJ: I agree, this is disgusting. I have heard for a while people questioning Dan Choi’s real agenda – now we know it. I am ashamed to say I thought he was real.
Nobody should pay him to speak and we shouldn’t consider him an activist, because it insults and demeans real activists.
Michael Rogers
Another whining comment about how activists should give up everything and work for free. That’s bullshit. Do y’all tear up your paychecks every week and ask them to mail the cash to the movement instead?
Dan has done more than enough for free and continues to do his activism for free… You want him to come to a campus and speaks WHICH DOES NOTHING FOR GAY RIGHTS? PAY TO PLAY.
GoodBoy
I believe that he has even spent a few nights in jail for FREE.
Sheesh! We all have to eat and have a place to sleep. This criticism is ridiculous on its face (though, I confess to not knowing any specifics besides what is in this article).
jj
@JonnyJ: I also agree. I’ve met him before and was disappointed.
Clint
“suffocated by greed..” quite a statement.
randy
If a college can’t even raise enough money to pay for Choi’s expenses (airfare, hotel, dinner), then it isn’t serious about bringing in a high profile speaker. If you think that Choi should, at his own expense, speak at any college that asks him to, and refuse him reimbursement or even a reasonable fee, you are an idiot.
Would you travel around the country to speak at schools for no pay, and you pay your own hotel and airfare? If not, then don’t cast any stones.
Mark Reed
Please go away Dan Choi. It’s over.
randy
“Nobody should pay him to speak and we shouldn’t consider him an activist, because it insults and demeans real activists.”
Please name some people who are:
a) gay activists
b) effective
d) do it for no pay or compensation whatosever
Last time I checked, we still have DOMA, DADT, no movement on ENDA, and failure of SSM in all states that have put it up to a popular vote. So as far as I know, there are very few effective gay activists.
Perhaps if we had a few more Dan Chois, we might actually get DADT repealed.
CJ
The expectations people place on him are ridiculous. If you don’t like his fees, don’t pay him. He’s not at everyone’s beck and call NOT should he be expected to live on the salary YOU feel he should. Get a life.
Ctprep
Food, rent etc. isn’t free! Why should he do this for free?
reason
I have said it time after time, Choi abandon his comrades in Iraq, transferred to the guard before the surge, were he was safe and sound. In Iraq Choi found out that he couldn’t handle the military and was not a very good leader which is why he was only an Lt. which is pretty lousy for an officer especially one from West Point. He hopped over to the guard and found he was not going anywhere and needed a change. That is when he suddenly decided to come out, and try to cash in. He is advocating in a manner that is hurting the community, and as exemplified sadly in this incident the dollar is Choi’s boss. He surpassed his military salary and is still not willing to cut college students, most who are going through a difficult time in their lives as far as identity goes, a break. He is fishing for a book deal that can bring him the big bucks that he is looking for. Choi knew he could excite the community by throwing out red meat just as every politician does. The big difference is the Pol. only do it in closed fundraisers with their base, granted that when the stuff comes out it hurts their party ie. “cling to guns and religion or antipathy for people who are not like them” Obama @ a San Fransisco fundraiser. Choi brandishes his red meat recklessly smearing it on the faces of allies, in an attempt to incite the gay community into his arms and secure an image of toughness and bravery that he failed to display on the battlefield. Choi’s action benefit his pocket and harms our progress. We should be rewarding activist that are actually grinding away in quite corners to move our ball forward, not to brighten their own star.
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
@reason:
Obambot cockroach LYING AGAIN while hiding behind a unidentifiable screenname. LIAR AND COWARD!
Dan’s rotation to the National Guard was the TYPICAL pattern of 99% of those in the military.
Gloria in LV
@reason: Thank-you for telling the truth. Choi is a fraud. It’s just like the GetEQUAL charade – please go away! Weare ruining the idea of activism by saying “How much will I be paid?”
Choi is a fraud.
Choi For Hire
Choi makes me sick. He is a fraud.
Patriot
Dan Choi tried to make a living using us and DADT. We should be offended and Choi should get a life. Do like the rest oif us Dan, go out and get a job. You are NOT a celebrity. We do not look to you for guidnace or inspiration. We look nto you like yet another greedy loser trying to take our money.
YOU CAN’T HAVE MY MONEY. GET A JOB.
Campus Activist
THIS is BULL shit.
Choi is only trying to make money. Go Fu*k yourself! You are not an activist and Obama is not a “fierce advocate.” You are both phonies.
Jennifer J
I am sick of people defending Dan Choi. It is clear he was trying to make living off of our struggle, just like HRC and those GetEQUAL clowns. These morons should get real jobs.
Choi is DADT Profiteer
The longer DADT stays in place the more money he is going to make. Think about it, if it is repealed he’ll have to get a real job. The horror!
So why would he ever want it to be repealed? Not like he wants to serve his country again.
GetEQUAL is The ANSWER
Dan Choi made headlines when asked to pu his life on the line and get hancuffed to the White House fence. We paid his fee. We understood that he had a craeer. He showed up on time and acted like an activist. The money wqas well spent. We got some pictures.
But, we won;t pay again, we’ve grown up. Choi is in it for the money and fame, not our equality. Plus., he’s NOT a good speaker – he embarrasses me. Like Jonathan Lewis.
tommy
Gay For Pay.
Cleve Jones
Dan Choi didnt listen. Socialism is the answer.
Dan Choi could have been our MLK, but he wanted money and not socialism. now, he should suffer. That’s how we roll.
Robin and Kip
People should worship Dan Choi. He is a fighter. Fighters get paid to do thier haord work. Doinf stunts isn’t easy – we have to wake up early and piss people off. You try it. People learn how stupid we are. They dismiss u. It’s hard work.
Then we take to the streets and make more people hate us.
Thenj people find out we were just trying toi make money or get laid. Don’t gte mad, let us enjoy our purpose.
Jeffree
21 posts here: 14 at least were by AndrewW and his pretend allies.
Not that I’m counting.
Thanks AndrewW. Youre now funding my graduate school account!
eagledancer
Just out of curiosity, has anyone actually checked what’s the average pay rate these days for a college’s keynote speaker? In other words, trying to compare oranges to oranges–is the issue here that the gentleman is charging at all, or that he’s charging too much? Is it that he’s charging too much because he has a focus on gay issues? If a college can get a nationally recognized speaker for a fraction of what a “normal” (i.e., in this context, a “non-gay”) speaker will charge mean that his presentation is less valued?
Until I retired from a number of speakers’ booking agencies, (don’t know what the current reality is), $10,000 was pretty average.
eagledancer
Oh–I should probably mention, in my personal experience (I personally never made $10,000 a gig), the booking agencies would take your “regular” speaking fee and double it to make their commission. Just so, if a person normally charged $1,000 for a presentation (or $10,000) the agencies would charge a client $2,000, and then pay the speaker his/her “regular” fee and pocket the difference.
Based on this, was Dan being paid directly, or was he being booked through an agency? Does it make a difference to people on this site? Is the issue that he charged at all?
jeffree
Dan is not a perfect public speaker, but he speaks with passion. He can draw a crowd. For any speaking gig, expenses should be covered. Dude has rent to pay.
@AndrewW: Great news! I got a research grant for next semester based on the work I did about you & your multiple puppets! Thanks again! Copies of that article will be sent to all the sites you post to!
I know, i know, you thought you were smarter than every one else. You got pwned!
truthteller
If Jeffree is correct this AndrewW has a personal vendetta against Dan Choi.
Some of the comments here are just ludicrous; no common sense whatsoever. How can anyone claim this is “our cause” and not his? He is a gay man who was discharged from the military under DADT. This is more his cause than anyone who never served in the armed forces.
I’m seriously wondering why the hatred towards him. Everyone knows fame is power and as much as it irks some on this site, Lt Dan Choi is famous. When it comes to a protest who is the media going to cover, Dan Choi or Joe Nobody? Dan Choi of course and that is power that politicians fear.
I’m glad the internet was not broadly available when ACT UP took to the streets. They were pushy, in your face and not the most eloquent speakers. These complainers on this blog would have ate them alive.
Go, Dan, Go!
truthteller
@ Gloria in LV
Is this a FREUDIAN SLIP:?
‘Weare [sic]ruining the idea of activism by saying “How much will I be paid?”‘
@ Eagledancer
Please don’t ask logical questions. Are you doubting those who have the psychic gift of discerning Choi’s motivations?
Have you not been paying attention? They already know he’s an opportunist, a fraud, doing it for the $$$$, harming “our” cause. They have read his heart and thoughts, and the fact that he accepts money–money is the root of all evil, you know–proves he is evil!
Why would you want to bring facts into the discussion?
snark
Sug Night
So who among you that are trashing Choi will take his place FOR FREE? How many of you are willing to quit your job, pay for hotel rooms, flights, food and expenses out of your own pockets?
Put up or SHUT UP. It all looks easy from behind a keyboard.
Tim W
Actually most of you on here are delusional. That somehow those who fight for our rights should somehow take a vow of poverty. Really??? Well why don’t you take a vow of poverty and go out there and fight for our rights. Oh that’s right you like you material comforts but then attack someone who is trying to be paid to fight for you.
PHB has a great post about this. Basically by insisting that somehow our activists take a vow of poverty and use their own money reeks of elitism. So what you are saying is our activists should be rich white people who can afford to spend their own money to fight for your causes. Those who are poor or disenfranchised too bad we don’t want you to fight for us if you are going to make money to pay your bills.
This is much different then Joe over at HRC. The amounts he is making is obscene but really $82,000 that Choi has made. I imagine much of that money goes to paying to travel to events like Netroots etc. Please get off your high horses here.
DR
I brought in the plaintiff in the original Hawai’i gay marriage case to my law school back in the 90’s. We had a speaker’s bureau which helped defray some of the costs. I know my college had one as well. Does this school have one? Was it approached? Was a bargain stuck with the school?
It’s easy to demonize Dan, who is using this money to pay rent, bills, etc, but what about the school? How about holding those officials accountable?!? Or does that not make for a good enough Tweet?
Miss Understood
Speakers have fees. The person who wrote that letter is probably too young and inexperienced to realize it. For Queerty to just run that story without acknowledging that it is standard practice for speakers to be paid is sloppy journalism.
Who the hell can afford to constantly travel around and speak at schools without having a job? It IS a job to be a speaker. Teachers and politicians get paid. Full time workers at Feed the Children get paid. That’s the way it goes.
BTW Sarah Palin charges $100,000. I’d rather have ten Dan Chois!
truthteller
I think queerty is biased against, Choi.
They keep asking these stupid non issue-questions about his integrity. Did you see the picture of him they put up on the other story? Not very flattering.
Cam
Again, what has everybody said Earlier, HRC will try to smear Choi any way they can. First they tried to claim that he was nuts from his hunger strike, then that he was only in it for attention etc…
Now they are trying to cast stones at him because he is getting speaking fees. Well if somebody earning money means that they can’t be a force for gay rights, then HRC needs to close down right now. Because there is no way that Choi is making half of what HRC exects make.
What I wonder is this. Did this Texas Tech student expect Choi, to fly out there at his own expense? To stay in a hotel at his own expense? I’m curious, if she isn’t willing to raise money to get him to speak why would she expect him to spend a ton of money out of his own pocket to speak?
Kevin, New Jersey
Nonnie Ouch, president of Texas Tech University’s Gay-Straight Alliance, seems to be a little out of touch. She seems typical of spoiled, middle class, college students who haven’t actually had to pay for things yet. Mommy and Daddy pay for tuition and books and meals, so why can’t Lt. Choi’s mommy and daddy pay his rent, travel expenses, etc? I’m sure Nonnie doesn’t get it… yet.
Meanwhile, Lt. Choi garners a great deal of attention and respect from the Straights – you know, the people who are oppressing us Queers. And if the Straights stand up and take notice, and let themselves identify with an all-American brand like Lt. Choi, then we’ve got a better shot at making the case that we’re just normal people who want equal rights… even if some of us are a bit less “mainstream” than Lt. Choi.
Queer Supremacist
@Kevin, New Jersey: An American soldier of Korean descent getting more done than a bunch of lilly-white drag queens. Who’d have thunk it?
Tim W
@Jeffree: Funny part if you notice the negative comments about Choi they are always posted around the same times from like 9-12 and one after another with names we have never seen before on this blog. Things that make you go hmmmmmm.
whatever
Looks like he is learning from that Wasila grifter. 😉 There’s big $$$ to be made on speaking fees.
AndrewW
If Choi can create income with speaking fees that’s his business. If people are willing to pay $10,000 to hear his story then he should accept the money.
He was only making $350 a month in the NY National Guard when “DADT ruined his career,” so he has to make a living – somehow.
Maybe it blurs the line between activism and celebrity, but it’s Choi’s life. Let him speak.
Dawson
You really can’t get much lower than trying to make a profit off of the misery of other people like Dan Choi has. He is no longer a soldier. He resigned from the military. He was dishonorably discharged by the National Guard. He is doing more harm than good at this point. He is nothing more than a fame whore at the moment trying to get as rich as possible while he still can. Its not going to be long until the right side starts touting off about how DADT is really a question of the greedy gays and lesbians wanting to make money off of attacking the poor hard working men and women of the military.
Dawson
@Michael Rogers: It has nothing to do with activists working for free. If Choi was collecting $1000 or so per speaking engagement and using that money to support himself then I would be completely in support of him. He is instead trying to get rich. I don’t expect the man to starve while he works as an activist. I won’t allow him to get rich off of the suffering of real men and women of the United States military either.
Dawson
@randy: First class accommodations shouldn’t be provided by an university to any speaker. I don’t know about you, but it kind of pisses me off when my tuition dollars go to anything other than my education. I had to work my way through college, Mommy and Daddy weren’t there to pay for it.
Dawson
@Sug Night: There are thousands of volunteer and poorly paid activists working hard all over this country right now. Choi’s speaking fees would fund 2-3 months of operation costs for most of these organizations.
Tim W
@Dawson: He’s made $82,000 from speaking. Sorry but that’s not a ton of money. Get off your fucking high horse. In your world we will only have rich white people being activists. Why don’t you give up all your comforts and be a poor activist. Otherwise shut the hell up.
eagledancer
@truthteller:
Whoops– 🙂
btw, in my experience of being a speaker at universities across the U.S. and Canada (and a number in Europe), and as a former college professor who brought speakers into my own college—there’s a “formula” Institutions of Higher Education tend to use in terms of the cost “per head”—in other words, if the Speaker costs $1,000 and 10 people show up for the presentation, this is not considered an appropriate use of the campus funds. If the Speaker costs $1,000 and 1,000 people show up–that’s considered extremely successful. One of the things a campus speakers bureau (as opposed to the booking agencies I mentioned earlier)does is an attempt to “balance” speakers who are “big draws” and speakers who are much less “popular” but have an important message for a campus. In other words, one looks at the entire academic year of expenditures and attendance, with the idea the available funds were used in a decent manner. I should also point out speaker fees are not always drawn from tuition fees, but may also come from donations, private endowments,or co-sponsorships with outside agencies–before the recession hit, for example, large banks and insurance companies could be counted to kick in big bucks.
At a campus, it’s also common for different divisions and departments to combine funding for a particular speaker, so the entire amount is not paid for by one source.
Also–since I personally know nothing about Dan’s arrangments–I’m curious if the alleged speaker fees quoted include travel and per diem. I do know that when I was speaking professionally, I had a policy that no AIDS/HIV or Native American group would ever be turned away for lack of funds, so we tried to set aside 10% of my time to serve organizations with less resources pro bono. I wonder if Dan has a similar policy that isn’t being advertised.
truthteller
@eagledancer:
It would be nice if Queerty contacted, Dan Choi for his side of the story, instead of printing innuendo.
But that would take the fun out of tearing him down and bringing in the clicks that pay the bills, huh Queerty?
ChoiNoTalk
Choi has had plenty of chances to talk. He doesn’t say much. Check our lezgetreal.com they have been investigating him and he hasn’t said a word.
John
Dan is a terrible speaker. If I were in a position to invite a speaker on DADT/gay rights to my university, I certainly wouldn’t choose him. And that’s not even commenting on his fee. I won’t question his motives.
I commend Choi for speaking out. But I don’t agree with his tactics or style. Just because we perceive Gay Inc to hate him doesn’t mean we must automatically support him. The Enemy of my Enemy isn’t automatically my friend.
Justin
@AndrewW: [img]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f399/myfask/258Troll_spray.jpg[/img]
You are all over this blog with your sock puppets.
Lyndon Evans
I believe I was one of the first to report that Lt. Dan Choi had an agent in this posting at “Focus On The Rainbow” from June 1, 2010.
http://focusontherainbowopine.outloudblogs.com/2010/06/01/chois-academy-award-performance
I admired Choi at first but starting with his “drama” at the LGBT event last summer in Washington, DC where he came out on stage like a tin soldier with tape across his mouth, that’s when I started looking at Choi in a different light.
Glad to see there are other like-minded folks such as myself who now see Choi differently. Of course you’d never know it from the “popular” LGBT bloggers who would have to eat crow if they admitted perhaps it was time to call out Choi on what he has become.
What happened to Choi and many others is wrong however to take what started as a “cause” and turn it into a meal ticket is equally wrong.
As I wrote on July 17, it’s time to put a new face on DADT.
http://focusontherainbowopine.outloudblogs.com/2010/07/17/lt-colonel-victor-fehrenbach-should-be-the-face-of-d-a-d-t-not-lt-dan-choi/
Jon M
As as an executive council member of two of my student clubs at my college, I know how hard it is to raise and secure funds for bringing in a speaker. If your college is not a big university with larger budgets or has board members against gay issues, then it will be very difficult to justify paying $10,000 for a speaker that doesn’t have any real teaching credentials or published research or studies. Choi is going to colleges and universities which are places of higher learning. It’s not a place solely for pushing any political or personal agenda.
If Choi is really serious about being an activist, then I think he should lower his fees to $5,000 for small colleges and universities in red states. It cost less than $3,000 to travel between mainland states, get a hotel and food for 3 days. He can use the extra $2,000 for his time. He is not a credentialed professor or politician. A college can’t just throw out money, in a time when they have to raise tuition fees, for just anyone who decides to speak out and chain themselves to the White House gates.