Our regularly scheduled Queerty ReBUTTal will not be posted today. Instead, we’d like to open the floor to democratic presidential candidate, Mike Gravel.
As we’ve mentioned before, the former Senator from Alaska’s made Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell the cornerstone of his campaign.
In this Queerty exclusive, Senator Gravel writes on the very personal origins of his queer-friendly policy. Read all about it, after the jump…
I first met a gay person at army intelligence school in the 1950s. One of my teachers was a brilliant First Lieutenant who looked like Victor Mature, the strapping, dark haired actor who played Sampson. I can’t use his real name, because he might still be in the military, so I’ll just refer to him as ‘Vic’.
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Vic taught us a lot about the art of spying and information gathering. All of us spies-in-training admired him. At the end of the program I was assigned to counterintelligence in Germany and later Paris, where I was surprised to find Vic. My wavy haired teacher was now a fellow agent in the Paris office!
He and I struck up a friendship and would frequently hit the Paris bar scene after spending our afternoons trailing suspected spies. I didn’t like the work we were doing, I was uncomfortable prying into people’s private lives and I hated the rules and regimen of army life. Vic, on the other hand, was extremely dedicated and efficient. He was a great soldier and I suppose he still is.
One night in a bar, Vic said to me “Mike, I have to tell you something… I’m gay.” I played it cool and told him I didn’t care. I must admit, however, I almost fell off my barstool.
All my life I had been told that all gays were effeminate, silly creeps – but here was Vic- a big, tough, true-blue military type. How could he be gay? In that one moment I experienced a total reeducation. I thought about how horrible it must be for Vic to live in a society that constantly told him he was sick. I thought about the stupid jokes that we all made in the office. As I sat next to Vic in that bar, I pretended like nothing had changed, but in reality I felt a deep shame.
Vic and I continued to hang out and both of us, along with a couple of other officers, rented a chateau together in the Paris suburbs. We all knew Vic was gay, but we also knew that if the commanding officer found out, Vic’s stellar military career would be ruined.
I often think about Vic when I talk about the injustice of Don’t Ask. Here’s a guy who was much more dedicated to the army than I was, but because he liked men, his life long military career has been in constant jeopardy. This is an outrage that the government has perpetrated for far too long on highly trained, committed gay and lesbian service people. We should be proud of their service and thankful for their sacrifice.
When I am president I promise that I will immediately end the Don’t Ask policy and I will issue an apology on behalf of the federal government to each of the 100,000 service people who have been discharged because of their sexual orientation over the past several decades. I challenge all of my fellow candidates to pledge themselves that if elected, they will also issue a formal apology. I hope that we can all join together in sending an important message to the American public that the days of second-class citizenship for Vic and all other lesbian and gay Americans must come to an end.
When that day comes, I hope my old friend will be proud.
-Senator Mike Gravel-
Jack Jett
Wow….great story….
Thanks to Mr. Gravel for sharing it with us.
jack jett
Martini-boy
Now that there is a human.
dizzyspins
don’t get me wrong–Im touched by Mr. Gavel’s statement, but did his friend Vic have to be a spy, who enjoyed prying into people’s private lives?
Also, Im getting a gaydar read on Gavel. How many straight guys say another guy “looked like Victor Mature, the strapping, dark haired actor…”
Um, how many straight guys even know who Victor Mature is?
logan767
This is the danger of standing up for gay rights – people are going to want to read you as gay. Let’s not do that!
Also, I want to point out that Mike Gravel makes the Victor Mature reference to indicated that his friend is not “silly and effeminate” – or that gay men in general are not silly and effeminate. However, some gay men are, in fact, silly and effeminate. We need to stop that kind of ostracization as well…
kiddcosmos
what a sentimental tired old story. warmly delivered by a government trained spy. seems a little suspicious to me. or in the least some retrograde neutered lip service yarn about how all the new ways he learned how to accept some elite, hyper-macho, homo secretagentman. i say fuck’im. if his next speech has hand jobs in it, i may reconsider.
medley
Mike Gravel, May Seem like a gumpy old man, something I may appear to be as well, I am 37. This äppearence”Is due to a few things but ONE major charcteristic, The Deep Undiluted knowledge, of what mankind as a whole tends to be..And as One who sees what Mike Geravel does I know. If you look at him again, Or just watch a few videos of him talking, You see a few things you DO NOT in any other candidate(possibly Ron Paul). These traits are 1) Speaking with out stoping to think up answers…This comes from telling the truth, It has been said, Give anyones speachs to much rope and they’ll fuck it up. This IS True of most ALL Politicans, Mike Gravel Could speak for say…% straight months(as in his filibuster) and not lie once or be tempted to do such. 2) Mike Gravel Truly Cares for all people, all races, all shapes,sizes, and capacities for thought. This is the marking of a Truly Great Thinker. 3) Mike Gravel Acts The way he talks..No Bullshit. 4) Mike Gravel Does Not Take any BS, Nor does he give it. 5) Mike Gravel Is By Nature a Happy Man.Happy to simply be, His anger comes, only while caring for others and seeing them make mistakes,another Heart felt charecteristic, That gives one great troubles/worries, and Still yet he gives. 6) Mike Gravel KNOWS The miltary VERY Well, He know weapons,are strength, and How to use it. 7) Mike Gravel Chooses to let others Think for themselves, and does not Scare people into thinking as he does, He belives, If you tell the truth It will attract voters, It has and does.8)Mike Gravel Could Run for either party,minus the equality he feels for same sex couples.
As A single hetero sexual man. I am not scared his fairness with these people, will turn me gay, nor would I let qualified military personall go for no other reason than sexual preferance. As a Man who Has, NO OTHER Agreement with you people(all americans), OTHER Than The Constitution we all should live by, Feel very strongly that we can all get along under his leadership. I am a Freedom loving Man who would be willing die for such. And I will accept nothing less than freedom, of speach, religon, opinions, and I like to smile. Mike Gravel, Lets me smile again, even if his run is short, (I know better) I am Glad he is putting it all out there for US TI DECIDE, Every should respect that,
In case you all do not know, Letting the People choose, Comes at a very high price,at tines the ultimate price, and anyone whom puts themself in that position for no other reson than it is what a Leader should do is a Human of the highest caliber, such as a Washington, or a Jefferson, or a Franklin,etc. Since he is doing all this for YOU, don’t you owe it to Yourself, and Every Solider who Gave Their Lives,so you might hear such a leader speak. Listen,Hear,Talk, Act, Vote..Thank You My Fellow Americans..
“Peace When EVER Possible, Anything Is.”
Medley
p.s. sorry if that was a bit drawn out,, but I am not a professinal writer(or speller, lol), But I will no longer , …Not at least try. Take Care
marklee
Nice story!