News
2006-08-23
Right to Serve
takes its military protest to Oklahoma
Michael Cich will
tell the U.S. military he is gay when he attempts to
enlist Wednesday at an Oklahoma City, Okla., recruiting
Michael Cich will
tell the U.S. military he is gay when he attempts to
enlist Wednesday at an Oklahoma City, Okla., recruiting
station, despite the military's ban on openly gay
service members. Cich's action is part of a
national effort by the group Soulforce in its ongoing
Right to Serve campaign, which encourages out gay men
and lesbians to try to enlist in the military,
local television station KOTV reports.
"We're not going in there banging drums, we're
not going in there carrying banners," Cich told KOTV.
"We're going in just like any other recruit would,
except the only difference is, we're going in there
completely honest, saying I'm gay, I want to serve in the
military, what do I need to do to make that happen?"
Cich's family has a long record of military
service. His grandfather served in the Army, and his
father served in Vietnam. His twin brother, who is
straight, will also try to enlist this Wednesday, apparently
in solidarity.
"I have a friend who was in the military who
wanted to put in 20 years of service, but after five
years, he was like, 'That's enough, I can't take it.
It's too much pressure. It's too much hiding,'" Cich
said. "If people don't think there are gay people serving
with them now, they're lying to themselves,
because I have lots of friends in the military who are
gay who aren't choosing to be out because they wanted
to be in the service." (The Advocate)
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