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Students protest military's gay ban

Greensboro police cite demonstrators

Sarah Whitworth, Staff Writer

Posted: 9/22/06

Four openly gay college students wouldn't take no for an answer Thursday morning when they were refused enlistment into the Army.

The students conducted a sit-in at the Greensboro Army Recruitment Center.

Three of the four, Matthew Comer, Jessica Arvidson and Alexandria Nini, were arrested and charged with second-degree trespassing.

The fourth demonstrator, Stacey Booe, left when the police threatened arrest.

"We cannot push anyone into doing something that they are not comfortable with," said Comer, Greensboro's Soulforce organizer.

Soulforce is a national organization advocating the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people through nonviolent resistance.

UNC-Greensboro students Leslie Hughes, Jacquelyn Hernandez, Alexander Barbato, Danielle Hoffman and Caitlin Stroud, as well as 62-year-old Cristy Elkins, also were arrested and charged with second-degree trespassing.

"They came in support of the enlistees' rights to serve openly and honestly," Comer said.

Those arrested were taken to a Guilford County Magistrate, where they were granted release on a written promise to appear in court on Oct. 23, Comer said.

Lieutenant Jane Allen of the Greensboro Police Department said Soulforce stood by its commitment to nonviolence.

"The whole demonstration was passive. There were no incidents of violence whatsoever."

Members of Soulforce from 30 cities across the country will attempt similar demonstrations this fall.

The organization hopes to raise awareness about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," a policy signed by Bill Clinton in 1993 banning openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from serving in the military.

"Over 10,000 LGBT have been kicked out of the Army based solely on the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy. … This has hurt our armed forces, especially with the war in Iraq," Comer said.

But some say Soulforce is tackling the issue the wrong way.

Dan Fischer, senior vice president of the UNC-system Association of Student Government, served in the Navy for 20 years.

"I could care less whether (homosexuals) are in or not. I worked with plenty of them," he said.

But Fischer said Soulforce members should address their issues with Congress, rather than protesting.

Haven Herrin, co-director of the young adult division of Soulforce, said the protestors want to serve.

"When you are told by the military that you are not allowed to fight for the democratic ideals of the country you belong to, you are essentially being told by the government that you are a second-class citizen simply because you are gay."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.