On Monday, members of the GLBT center met in Talley Student Center’s Brown Room for the GLBT’s new ‘Lunch and Learn’ Series. The focus was “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a law prohibiting lesbians and gays from serving openly in the military.

Since DADT was enacted in 1993, over 14,000 gay and lesbian service members have been discharged from service.

Evelyn Reiman, associate vice-chancellor for student affairs, said she believes DADT puts ROTC members with concerns about their sexuality in an uncomfortable situation.

“Students in ROTC might feel at risk even stopping by the [GLBT] office,” Reiman said,

According to Justine Hollingshead, the director of GLBT, the DADT policy leaves gay service men and women with a tough decision.

“People make a conscious choice whether you are going to be out and not serve or be in the closet and serve,” Hollingshead said.

Students joining ROTC know the program must follow policy and that they will be dismissed if they come out to their officers, according to Hollingshead.

“These are people that want to serve our country. They should be able to and not have to live in that cloak of fear,” Hollingshead said.

Hollingshead said that if DADT is repealed, it doesn’t mean the military will be “warm and welcoming” to gay and lesbian members, but it opens up doors for changing the way people think.

Bill Swallow, a member of the GLBT subcommittee and professor emeritus in statistics, said the military is just getting used to the idea of allowing diversity and pointed out the military recently allowed women to serve on submarines.

“The military just turned like an ocean liner, very, very, very slowly,” Swallow said.

Lisa Zapata, associate vice-chancellor for student affairs, said that students should not blame people in uniform for military policy.

“The policy is made by politicians and [people in uniform] are just enacting what the rules are,” Zapata said.  “They would do a 180 [degrees] and it would be completely different if the law were to be repealed.”

Army ROTC Master Sergeant Albert Lampkins, said DADT is not something the ROTC program at the University can control.

“I don’t really have any opinions of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy,” Lampkins said.  “It’s a Department of Defense policy all veterans and current members must follow.”

ROTC members must follow federal policy, but it is against campus policy to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation.

Deb Luckadoo, director of Campus Activities, said she thinks that, if not prohibited, commanders should have conversations with ROTC students about being open minded when it comes to diversity in the military.

But Swallow said he thinks the University should go further.

“ROTC probably shouldn’t be allowed on campus if they are going to discriminate,” Swallow said.  “It is campus policy not to discriminate based on sexual orientation.”

Choi said he is strongly against DADT.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is immoral.  It forces people to lie,” Dan Choi said.

Dan Choi is a lieutenant who gained notability because of his announcement on The Rachel Maddow Show about his sexual orientation.  Choi is gay.  

Choi is coming to N.C. State on Oct. 12.  The event, hosted by The Union Activities Board and the GLBT center, will feature a lecture as well as a question and answer session with Choi.  

Choi said he thinks every American should be against DADT.

“It makes me vomit,” Choi said.  “It should make every patriotic American vomit.”

Choi is a West Point graduate, Arabic linguist, Iraq vetaran and infantry officer.  

“I speak about the consequences of telling the truth under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and of living a lie through my personal journey,” Choi said.  “I let people know our belief system is against our integrity.”

Choi said he believes full personhood is achieved through love.

“I believe full personhood is only achieved after falling in love,” Choi said.  “I also talk about my religious upbringing.”

“I’m glad to be involved in a movement to improve society,” Choi said.  “History shows people who live in the time of social movements will come against some opposition. Every single social movement depends on young people.”