The word patriotism usually conjures images of flag wavers, adorned in red, white, and blue paraphenelia, starred and striped out, belting out the national anthem. Swirling inside the heads of Mr. and Miss Americana are steadfast defenses of American life, policy, and values. Nationalism takes a backseat to no other cause.
But there are millions of other patriots who exist outside of the stereotype. There are patriots who do not sit by and take all that the government throws out as gospel. There are those who question dominant ideologies and imagine how we as a nation can continue to strive to make ourselves better, more inclusive, more conscious of the diversity we so highly tout.
One of these people is Army Lt. Dan Choi (shown, in this video, speaking at the San Francisco Pride Celebration). On June 30, a military administrative board recommended that Lt. Choi – an Iraq veteran, a Westpoint graduate, and Arabic specialist – be discharged. His crime? Violating the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding homosexuality. Choi is a founding member of Knights Out, a group of 38 Westpoint graduates who decided to stand against the injustices of this discriminatory policy of the military. These 38 men and women have joined together, publicly announced their sexual orientation, and offered to serve as public figures in the fight against heterosexism. They have risked their military careers and possible public humiliation and scorn. They have attached themselves to a cause that transcends their individual sexualities and speaks to a collective civil rights and social justice movement in order to push our society towards a culture of acceptance and understanding. If their work is accomplished, more individuals can live their lives free of the trappings of expectations to conform to pre-determined norms.
Choi, his allies, and supporters are all working to change an outdated and oppressive code of a long-standing, dominant institution in American culture. To some, he can be considered a dissident, a turncoat of American values. But what Choi’s challenge to the system does is hold the military accountable to one of its core initiatives: maintaining justice, freedom, and the liberty of the American people—of all American people. Upon enlisting in the armed forces, men and women must swear “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Choi and the Knights Out are doing just that – protecting marginalized groups, in this case those who are pushed to the hinterlands of society because of their sexual orientation.
For his courage in this fight against an enemy of freedom, Daniel Choi is undoubtedly a patriot. He refuses to hide who he is, refuses to be rendered invisible by homophobia, and in doing so remains vigilant against the threat of heteronormativity and its ensuing discrimination. By fighting against hate and for freedom, Choi embodies the values of America and exercises his responsibilities and privilege as a citizen of this nation to keep our leaders accountable.
-Emerald Maravilla
