Who’s Light in the Loafers Now?
SLDN client Stephen Benjamin, a former Arabic translator in the United States military, has an op-ed in today's Denver Post about homophobic comments recently made by a local radio host. The guest host of the program, a deputy district attorney in Colorado, was speaking about gays in the military when he went into a tirade about gay military personnel, proclaiming that gay personnel in the military were like children in a candy shop, and even referring to the Navy as "the light-in-the-loafers service."
Bejamin calls out George Brauchler in his op-ed today, writing that "The comparison of a child in a candy shop to the world's most advanced fighting force is absurd. A Marine on the battlefield being cared for by a Navy medic certainly isn't checking to see if that medic might be 'light in the loafers.' The Army commander being debriefed by a Navy Arabic translator certainly isn't wondering what that sailor is going to do when he goes home for R&R. I doubt many people would tell the Navy Seals who rescued Jessica Lynch that they were 'light in the loafers.'"
In fact, there are many lesbians and gays making a difference in the armed forces, as Benjamin notes in his op-ed.
"Only a few months ago, I was tirelessly working in a small, dark office in Georgia, translating and disseminating critical intelligence to our troops," he says. "To get there, I spent a couple of years agonizing over a difficult language and trying to understand an enigmatic culture foreign to my American identity. Today, my life is much different as a civilian in Atlanta, exchanging the occasional e-mail with friends I once served with who are now deployed to Iraq - some for the second or third time."
Benjamin, however, was dismissed under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," despite his stellar military service record. Today, he's more determined than ever to see an end to the ban, and to set the record - ummm, straight - for those who would continue to kick out qualified gay troops.
"Brauchler needs to realize that not every sailor is gay, and not every gay man wears loafers," Benjamin writes. "Sometimes we wear combat boots and carry an M-16."
Now who's light in the loafers, Mr. Brauchler?
- Steve Ralls
UPDATE: Stephen has been invited to debate Brauchler this afternoon (Monday) on KHOW radio. Listen in live at 5:20pm EST.Labels: in the news, stephen benjamin
07-22-07
3 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Anonymous on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
Fortunately, the Major answers to the chain of command and they answer to Congress. I’m sure with his lack of judgement, his career in the Reserves has reached its zenith. Further, I’ll bet that the DA under whom he serves isn’t feeling too warm and fuzzy as he looks up the road to re-election to uphold the statutes of Colorado with this avowed bigot on his staff. For the frosting on his possible comeuppance cake, I’ll bet that there have been conversations and emails concerning his less-than-cosmopolitan view of the law and what it means to be an advocate of justice and officer of the court. I thought lawyers were supposed to be circumspect thinkers. Nice going Mr Brauchler, would you like a bandaid for that foot or would you like to shoot the other first?
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jimbet01 on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
You run into narrow minded, bigoted people everyday like Major Brauchler. They shoot from the hip and rely on non-facts, innuendo and just plane closed minded bigotry. Many of these folks are members of the Religious Right that believe in the absolute word of the bible (even though it’s words have been changed many times over the centuries by religions and their leaders to meet their own agenda – slavery, mixed marriage, the one true faith, etc.- and that the earth is six thousand years old and that God created it in six days (on the seventh day He must have thought “well, that won’t work” and walked away). It’s a shame you have to debate these people because you’ll never convince them to step back and at least analyze their beliefs utilizing real science instead of fabricated science and “facts” that were not true six thousand years ago (visit the Creation Museum in Kentucky and you’ll see what I mean). There is a saying that describes these people; “You Can’t Fix Stupid!” Good luck, don’t let the bigots wear you down!
Stacy on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
Mr. Brauchler’s comments are very bothersome for several reasons:<BR><BR>1. He adjunct teaches advanced trial procedure at the University of Colorado Law School. What does he teach his students about representing diverse clients? This is an example of why amelioration efforts have to continue and become more aggressive on law campuses. <BR><BR>2. Major Brauchler is in the U.S. Army Reserves. Let’s presume he is a commander at some point during his career or better yet a JAG attorney. Does the “light in the loafers” discussion demonstrate animus towards the personnel accused of homosexual admissions or even conduct? I thought that my commanders and the attorneys advising them were there to adhere to the laws and not inject their personal views. I think that’s what Congress wanted. Discriminatory comments like this on the airwaves are what destroy unit moral and cohesion. <BR><BR>3. Mr. Brauchler is a Deputy District Attorney in Colorado responsible for prosecuting felony-level violations of criminal statutes. There is a hate crimes provision in Colorado (COLO. REV. STAT. § 18-9-121) that includes sexual orientation. How exactly does he represent the people in the community affected by hate crimes that were motivated because of sexual orientation under this law when he makes comments that liken homosexuals serving their country in silence to a “kid in the candy store?” <BR><BR>For someone who has been entrusted with representing the public you really missed the target on this one…