A soldier who served in silence under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has inspired straight former Marine Roger Dean Huffstetler’s incredible op-ed for Washington Post.
DADT is literally history, and there now are tons of stories coming out from the soldiers affected by it. You may have even heard of one that’s been making the rounds.
Former Sergeant Huffstetler has a unique take on this issue, and his op-ed details how his views on gay marriage and equal rights evolved when he found out many years later that an awesome soldier and friend he served for years with was, in fact, a gay man.
No, I never gay-bashed. I didn’t bully, I didn’t hate, I didn’t torment.
But I did say “fag” to a fellow Marine in front of Sgt. Santiago. I did stay seated in the pew when my minister challenged, “Don’t let anyone tell you that this church is soft on homosexuality.” Silence is a most powerful consent.
I would think: Civil unions, what’s wrong with that? I considered myself “accepting” and “tolerant,” excusing the soft discrimination that’s easy to shrug off, the implicit inequality of separate but equal.
Kudos to Huffstetler for “evolving” on the issue, and let’s hope that his currently serving Armed Forces brothers and sisters are following suit. DADT repeal is just the beginning, and there is a long battle ahead for the equal rights of LGBT people serving in the military. Currently serving as well as veteran allies like Roger Dean Huffstetler are a great start, and we hope this is opening a dialogue among all soldiers in the military today.
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NOTE: Rob Smith is an Iraq war veteran and the author of Closets, Combat and Coming Out: Coming Of Age As A Gay Man In The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Army which is available now via Blue Beacon Books from Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and wherever LGBT books are sold.
mcflyer54
If you’ve not read the op-ed referenced in this article you really should. It is beautifully written with honesty, understanding and compassion. We should all be so lucky as to have a terrific friend like Roger Dean Huffstetler. People like Huffstetler help to advance the cause of both equality and humanity.
ingyaom
emotional (in a good way)
hephaestion
Roger Dean Huffstettler is a great man. What a great essay. I haven’t read anything that beautiful in a long time.
jwrappaport
A powerful piece by a better man than I am. Kudos to him.
Polaro
The simple, direct and articulate way he conveys his ideas is brilliant.
Kangol
A great piece by Roger Huffstettler, and his response shows that being out can change straight people’s minds and hearts.