Spring Break
Don't ask, don't tell
Former marine says 'be yourself'
By: Teri Ruland
Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: News
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"I strongly advise people to be who they are, and do what's best for them. Not everyone is in that situation where they have the luxury of coming out, and not being discriminated against," Alva said.
He spoke about his experience and the camaraderie he experienced while he was in the military, and the day he was injured by a landmine soon after the Iraq War started. He lost one leg, broke the other, and his right arm was permanently damaged.
"After my injury, I gained the courage to speak out for equal rights," Alva said. "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is the only law that forces people to lie about themselves. What I'm trying to do is end the discriminatory policy of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' It's called a policy, but it's actually a law."
Alva shared statistics to support the claim that there is discrimination against the GLBT community.
"There are 31 states that don't have protection laws of GLBT people. There are 39 states that don't have protection laws for the transgendered.
"When you force your prejudices on someone, that's discrimination," he said. "That's what we need to get away from once and for all. It's called being fair-minded. All men are created equal, so not all men have to live my way of life."
The reason Coming Out Day is in October is because October is GLBT History Month and has been since 1994.
"Because this month is the anniversary of the first GLBT march on Washington in 1979, this is a time where GLBT as a community can come together and educate, raise awareness and address misconceptions about the community," said Lowell Kane, program coordinator of the GLBT Resource Center.
"This is a time where we can raise awareness about many local resources available for students," Kane said. "This is the one nationally recognized day where GLBT people are encouraged to come out of the closet, be open and honest about who they are, and to know there's such a large community of GLBT people."
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