I shouldn’t have to. I am normal, intelligent and very capable of serving &
defending my country, and am saddened that others couldn’t or wouldn’t see
those qualities. I did not have the opportunity to demonstrate this due to this
discriminatory and misguided law that has affected thousands within the
armed forces. It is time that we ALL have the opportunity to serve our
country honorably and honestly. The time to repeal DADT is not tomorrow or
next year…It is NOW!”
As this evening’s adventures & discussions wind down, I have
a strong & confident felling that Walker Chad Burttschell’s
leadership, charm and inspiration are only beginning to
get started. Fire away Walker!
CLICK HERE for more Herb Sosa
For more info on Voices of Honor, HRC & DADT, visit: www.hrc.org
Photos courtesy of:
Juan Carlos Smirnoff, Walker Burttschell, Vanessa Brito & Herb Sosa
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source
defending my country, and am saddened that others couldn’t or wouldn’t see
those qualities. I did not have the opportunity to demonstrate this due to this
discriminatory and misguided law that has affected thousands within the
armed forces. It is time that we ALL have the opportunity to serve our
country honorably and honestly. The time to repeal DADT is not tomorrow or
next year…It is NOW!”
As this evening’s adventures & discussions wind down, I have
a strong & confident felling that Walker Chad Burttschell’s
leadership, charm and inspiration are only beginning to
get started. Fire away Walker!
CLICK HERE for more Herb Sosa
For more info on Voices of Honor, HRC & DADT, visit: www.hrc.org
Photos courtesy of:
Juan Carlos Smirnoff, Walker Burttschell, Vanessa Brito & Herb Sosa
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source
because of their sexual orientation, including more than 60 Arabic
linguists and nearly 800 other service members in critical occupational
fields.
One of the things Walker says he is most proud of is serving his country
and being a Marine. “The day I became a U.S. Marine was and forever
will be the greatest day of my life.
I entered my first duty station very proud and excited of what laid
before me. For the most part, most of my friends in the Marines knew
that I was gay and never did I get any homophobic vibes from them.
Sadly, one day a friend of one of my roommates threatened to out me
to my Commanding Officer. I took his threats seriously and realized that
if I was Outed and discharged because of DADT, my family would be
extremely disappointed in me. At that time, I was not out to them.”
Born and raised in upstate Florida, this man of Latino heritage was well
aware of what threats meant and the harm that came with them. At an
early age, this fair-skinned young man often heard derogatory and
discriminatory references tossed around to Latinos, blacks and gays in
his small community. His own family was singled out for being different,
and this was not something Walker wanted to confront or experience
first hand by coming out. He didn’t even want to speak Spanish for
many years to avoid being the target of discrimination of attacks. One
day he had had enough. “Seeing the images in the media of 2 young
gay teenagers in Iran being hung to death for being labeled as gay and
just wanting to love each other was more than I could take…I knew
then and there that I had to make a difference. I had to do something”
linguists and nearly 800 other service members in critical occupational
fields.
One of the things Walker says he is most proud of is serving his country
and being a Marine. “The day I became a U.S. Marine was and forever
will be the greatest day of my life.
I entered my first duty station very proud and excited of what laid
before me. For the most part, most of my friends in the Marines knew
that I was gay and never did I get any homophobic vibes from them.
Sadly, one day a friend of one of my roommates threatened to out me
to my Commanding Officer. I took his threats seriously and realized that
if I was Outed and discharged because of DADT, my family would be
extremely disappointed in me. At that time, I was not out to them.”
Born and raised in upstate Florida, this man of Latino heritage was well
aware of what threats meant and the harm that came with them. At an
early age, this fair-skinned young man often heard derogatory and
discriminatory references tossed around to Latinos, blacks and gays in
his small community. His own family was singled out for being different,
and this was not something Walker wanted to confront or experience
first hand by coming out. He didn’t even want to speak Spanish for
many years to avoid being the target of discrimination of attacks. One
day he had had enough. “Seeing the images in the media of 2 young
gay teenagers in Iran being hung to death for being labeled as gay and
just wanting to love each other was more than I could take…I knew
then and there that I had to make a difference. I had to do something”
www.ambiente.us MAY | MAYO 2010
WALKER BURTTSCHELL, USMC Vet | Asking & Telling
By Herb Sosa
As Miami Beach peppered, salt & limed itself for yet another over the top 5 de
mayo celebration, Walker & I opted for an off the radar local bar to sit & talk.
Having worked with and followed his many recent public appearances in his
mission to Repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, I was clear about this Marines passion,
focus and unwavering focus. What I was not prepared for was the stories of his
journey to get here, his increasing thrust to get his message out across the
country, or the adventurous evening ahead of us.
“I am a U.S. Marine and I was discharged because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT).
I come from a very religious and ultra-conservative family, from which, many
generations have served in the military. It had always been my goal to one day
serve as an officer in the military and hopefully have a life long career doing so.
The day after September 11th, I dropped out of college and enlisted in the
Marine Corps. I felt an overwhelming sense of duty and patriotism and felt a
personal responsibility to enlist.” said Walker.
What is DADT?
Passed in 1993 under President Clinton, the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
(DADT) law allows gay, lesbian, and bisexual service personnel to
serve in the armed forces as long as their sexual orientation is
not publicly disclosed or discovered. As of 2008, more than
13,000 men and women have been discharged from the military
WALKER BURTTSCHELL, USMC Vet | Asking & Telling
By Herb Sosa
As Miami Beach peppered, salt & limed itself for yet another over the top 5 de
mayo celebration, Walker & I opted for an off the radar local bar to sit & talk.
Having worked with and followed his many recent public appearances in his
mission to Repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, I was clear about this Marines passion,
focus and unwavering focus. What I was not prepared for was the stories of his
journey to get here, his increasing thrust to get his message out across the
country, or the adventurous evening ahead of us.
“I am a U.S. Marine and I was discharged because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT).
I come from a very religious and ultra-conservative family, from which, many
generations have served in the military. It had always been my goal to one day
serve as an officer in the military and hopefully have a life long career doing so.
The day after September 11th, I dropped out of college and enlisted in the
Marine Corps. I felt an overwhelming sense of duty and patriotism and felt a
personal responsibility to enlist.” said Walker.
What is DADT?
Passed in 1993 under President Clinton, the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
(DADT) law allows gay, lesbian, and bisexual service personnel to
serve in the armed forces as long as their sexual orientation is
not publicly disclosed or discovered. As of 2008, more than
13,000 men and women have been discharged from the military
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Voices of Honor
And do something, he has. As part of the Voices of Honor national tour visiting
over 26 cities this year alone, Walker participated in several press conferences &
community forums as a panelist to tell his story.
The national 'Voices of Honor' tour organized in 2005 by vets Jarrod Chlapowski
and Alexander Nicholson in association with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is
an effort to highlight the costs associated with serving under "Don't Ask, Don't
Tell," as told through the experiences of gay and straight veterans who have
lived and breathed this archaic and painful law.
Most recently, Burttschell led the discussion at the first-ever, all Spanish Voices of
Honor event in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana district. Addressing a standing
room only crowd, Walker & fellow vets each told their stories of discrimination,
conflict and consequence due to DADT.
Cuando estaba en el segundo año de la Universidad, sucedió
la tragedia del 9/11 y senti una obligacion inmensa para
defender a mi pais. Al dia siguiente me apunte en el Marine
Corps y en solo unos meses ya estaba en bootcamp. Al
completar el entrenamiento, el dia que me dieron ese titulo de
marine, cuando me dijeron “good job Marine” , fue el dia mas
feliz y orgulloso de mi vida.
Nunca he sentido la necesidad de “publicar” mi sexualidad al
mundo entero. Pero la mayoria de mis amigos y compañeros
de trabajo sabian que yo era gay y eso nunca fue un problema.
Y estando en los Marines nunca tuve la impression de que
hubiese homophobia. Pero estaba equivocado. Y de eso me di
cuenta despues de casi un año de servicio en los Marines.
And do something, he has. As part of the Voices of Honor national tour visiting
over 26 cities this year alone, Walker participated in several press conferences &
community forums as a panelist to tell his story.
The national 'Voices of Honor' tour organized in 2005 by vets Jarrod Chlapowski
and Alexander Nicholson in association with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is
an effort to highlight the costs associated with serving under "Don't Ask, Don't
Tell," as told through the experiences of gay and straight veterans who have
lived and breathed this archaic and painful law.
Most recently, Burttschell led the discussion at the first-ever, all Spanish Voices of
Honor event in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana district. Addressing a standing
room only crowd, Walker & fellow vets each told their stories of discrimination,
conflict and consequence due to DADT.
Cuando estaba en el segundo año de la Universidad, sucedió
la tragedia del 9/11 y senti una obligacion inmensa para
defender a mi pais. Al dia siguiente me apunte en el Marine
Corps y en solo unos meses ya estaba en bootcamp. Al
completar el entrenamiento, el dia que me dieron ese titulo de
marine, cuando me dijeron “good job Marine” , fue el dia mas
feliz y orgulloso de mi vida.
Nunca he sentido la necesidad de “publicar” mi sexualidad al
mundo entero. Pero la mayoria de mis amigos y compañeros
de trabajo sabian que yo era gay y eso nunca fue un problema.
Y estando en los Marines nunca tuve la impression de que
hubiese homophobia. Pero estaba equivocado. Y de eso me di
cuenta despues de casi un año de servicio en los Marines.
“I took the threats to out me to my Commanding Officer seriously and realized that
very possibly I would be dishonorably discharged because of DADT. I became
extremely depressed, reclusive and eventually suicidal. Being discharged and
being outed to my family was just not an option. I was hospitalized at Camp
LeJeune's hospital and put on suicide watch. I met with a psychiatrist and felt
comfortable enough to admit my sexual orientation to him, feeling confident that
there existed some form of patient/physician confidentiality. Sadly, it was his
comments in my medical records that would out me to the Corps.”
Just then, the intensity
of Walker’s story was
abruptly interrupted
when a guy ran into
the bar we were at,
barricaded himself
inside the door
screaming “They
have guns, they have
guns”. This was a
mere 10 feet from our
barstools, and without
hesitation, Walkers’
Marine instincts
kicked in and he was
halfway to the back
of the space, assuming a
defensive and protective position. As it turned out, it was a police bust, with
multiple officers, hookers & a pimp – just another night in the big city. So much for
our quiet place to talk- So much for just one round of drinks!
We decided to take the show on the road and met up with friends Vanessa & Lilly
to shake off our dramatic experience and celebrate at the Standard. The
interview would have to wait.
very possibly I would be dishonorably discharged because of DADT. I became
extremely depressed, reclusive and eventually suicidal. Being discharged and
being outed to my family was just not an option. I was hospitalized at Camp
LeJeune's hospital and put on suicide watch. I met with a psychiatrist and felt
comfortable enough to admit my sexual orientation to him, feeling confident that
there existed some form of patient/physician confidentiality. Sadly, it was his
comments in my medical records that would out me to the Corps.”
Just then, the intensity
of Walker’s story was
abruptly interrupted
when a guy ran into
the bar we were at,
barricaded himself
inside the door
screaming “They
have guns, they have
guns”. This was a
mere 10 feet from our
barstools, and without
hesitation, Walkers’
Marine instincts
kicked in and he was
halfway to the back
of the space, assuming a
defensive and protective position. As it turned out, it was a police bust, with
multiple officers, hookers & a pimp – just another night in the big city. So much for
our quiet place to talk- So much for just one round of drinks!
We decided to take the show on the road and met up with friends Vanessa & Lilly
to shake off our dramatic experience and celebrate at the Standard. The
interview would have to wait.
“Walker is a kind & passionate individual. He believes in what he believes in,
and he fights for what he believes is right. I respect that about him” said
Vanessa Brito. Heading the local & national Hispanic Media for the Voices of
Honor Miami events, Brito has had a chance to work first-hand with Walker,
understand his passion, and help to channel it ongoing. “His integrity, honesty
and the injustice DADT has done to him and thousands of other vets, is why I
choose to work with him on this fight.” “His energy, charm and infectious
personality, is why I will keep helping and working with him to Repeal DADT.”
added friend and 5 de mayo conspirator, Lilly Chiu.
As our evening continued, somehow
seeing the over -caffeinated
crowds in Mexican hats all over
the streets seemed tame by
comparison to our earlier
experience, and we resumed our
discussion.
“Thankfully, with God's help, I was able
to crawl out of this dark time in my life
and realize that my personal
experience could move the hearts
of millions. For years I've lied about who
I am and what has happened to me. I've
realized that there is nothing to be
ashamed of.” And with that, Lilly snagged a
Mariachi hat and placed it on Walkers head.
That cute smirk of his came out, he started to subtly dance in a
corner, and he lit up the room – quietly, confidently, humbly and
unquestionably – as he always seems to do.
and he fights for what he believes is right. I respect that about him” said
Vanessa Brito. Heading the local & national Hispanic Media for the Voices of
Honor Miami events, Brito has had a chance to work first-hand with Walker,
understand his passion, and help to channel it ongoing. “His integrity, honesty
and the injustice DADT has done to him and thousands of other vets, is why I
choose to work with him on this fight.” “His energy, charm and infectious
personality, is why I will keep helping and working with him to Repeal DADT.”
added friend and 5 de mayo conspirator, Lilly Chiu.
As our evening continued, somehow
seeing the over -caffeinated
crowds in Mexican hats all over
the streets seemed tame by
comparison to our earlier
experience, and we resumed our
discussion.
“Thankfully, with God's help, I was able
to crawl out of this dark time in my life
and realize that my personal
experience could move the hearts
of millions. For years I've lied about who
I am and what has happened to me. I've
realized that there is nothing to be
ashamed of.” And with that, Lilly snagged a
Mariachi hat and placed it on Walkers head.
That cute smirk of his came out, he started to subtly dance in a
corner, and he lit up the room – quietly, confidently, humbly and
unquestionably – as he always seems to do.
Walker is meeting with Florida Senator Bill Nelson – one of 6 Committee
members who can determine if and when Congress will review DADT, to
lobby him for his vote. He recently attended, along with
hundreds of vets from across the country, Veteran’s Lobby
Day in D.C. to Repeal DADT. He is also waiting for May 26th,
much like thousands of vets & American citizens, to see if this
committee vote will take place in D.C. If it does not move
forward, Walker has a plan. He always has a plan.
Walker Walks to Washington
“Now is my time to speak up and put a human face to this unfair policy.
I cannot control how I was born, but I can control my actions.”
Walker is planning a cross-country walk, culminating in a series of
Capitol Hill meetings in D.C. to bring awareness to his cause and to
educate communities along the way of the need to repeal DADT.
This grueling journey will cover over 250+ miles on foot and take
nearly two weeks for him to complete, will bring him face-to-face
with thousands of Americans, and will generate much needed
media attention to fight to Repeal DADT. Most importantly, it will
give Walker the opportunity to change minds and stereotypes and
to make a difference.
“I never thought I would be prevented from doing something
honorable because of being true to myself. Being the man I am.
I will not deny the man I am – this I have learned in the journey, and
members who can determine if and when Congress will review DADT, to
lobby him for his vote. He recently attended, along with
hundreds of vets from across the country, Veteran’s Lobby
Day in D.C. to Repeal DADT. He is also waiting for May 26th,
much like thousands of vets & American citizens, to see if this
committee vote will take place in D.C. If it does not move
forward, Walker has a plan. He always has a plan.
Walker Walks to Washington
“Now is my time to speak up and put a human face to this unfair policy.
I cannot control how I was born, but I can control my actions.”
Walker is planning a cross-country walk, culminating in a series of
Capitol Hill meetings in D.C. to bring awareness to his cause and to
educate communities along the way of the need to repeal DADT.
This grueling journey will cover over 250+ miles on foot and take
nearly two weeks for him to complete, will bring him face-to-face
with thousands of Americans, and will generate much needed
media attention to fight to Repeal DADT. Most importantly, it will
give Walker the opportunity to change minds and stereotypes and
to make a difference.
“I never thought I would be prevented from doing something
honorable because of being true to myself. Being the man I am.
I will not deny the man I am – this I have learned in the journey, and
hrc.org |
