Gay Sailor Fired Under DADT, Called Back Up, Fired Again
Posted: May 11, 2007 - 1:00 am ET

(Washington) An openly gay sailor, discharged in 2005 under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and then called up again last year has been informed he is once again being fired under the ban on gays serving openly in the military - just weeks before he was to complete his one-year commitment with the Navy.

Petty Officer Second Class Jason Knight was informed this week by the Navy that it intends to fire him under under DADT.

Last week a story about Knight being called back up after being dismissed in 2005 appeared in the military newspaper Stars & Stripes. (story) Navy brass informed Knight that the decision to release him was based largely on the interview he gave the paper and other media interviews.

Knight had been stationed in Kuwait with Naval Customs Battalion Bravo. He was scheduled to end his commitment on May 28. The Navy said he will receive an honorable discharge.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network which advocates for gays in the military and is fighting DADT in court, said Friday that the Navy was willing to turn a blind eye to Knight's sexuality until he went public.

"Jason Knight was an exemplary sailor who gladly returned to active duty when our country needed him," said Sharra E. Greer, director of law and policy for SLDN.

"Now, despite his dedication and service, and the praise of those he served alongside, the Navy has decided to fire him because he dared to tell his story and put a public face to the courage of lesbian and gay service personnel. Our nation should be embarrassed that our armed forces are forced to respond to Knight’s selfless service with a government-sanctioned pink slip."

Knight, a trained Hebrew linguist, told Stars & Stripes that, having ‘come out’ to his command during his previous enlistment, he saw no reason to hide his sexual orientation.

"I have now spent five years in the Navy, and I have loved every minute of it," Knight said Friday.

"It is unfortunate that in our country, which prides itself on being a beacon of liberty to the world, discrimination is still alive and well, even in our own government. I am proud to be among the one million gay veterans who have answered the call to duty, and I look forward to working alongside them to topple this un-American and counter-productive law."

In the Stars & Stripes article a number of Knight’s colleagues spoke out in support of him.

"He’s better than the average sailor at his job," Bill Driver, the leading petty officer of Knight’s 15-person customs crew in Kuwait, told the paper.

"It’s not at all a strange situation. As open as he is now, it was under wraps for quite a while. It wasn’t an issue at work."

The SLDN lawsuit is underway in federal court in Boston and a second, by Log Cabin Republicans, is before a federal court in California. (story)

In February, Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA), chair of the House Armed Services Sub-Committee on Oversight and Investigations, reintroduced legislation to repeal the law. (story)

Meehan said that more than 120 Members of Congress from both parties have signed on to co-sponsor the bill, called the Military Readiness Enhancement Act.

Shut up Gary with your pathetic Bigotry. You are worse the Sharpton with his Mormon rant against Mitt.
He gets discharged at the beginning......
Then the Navy tells him to come back we need you basicly in this time of need
Then discharged him AGAIN.
Thats just plain pathetic for this nation's military


I think you need to go and go now out of this country Gary.

And why do we have rules against gays serving openly? The English military has openly gay personnel

I can make a comparison easily....You hate gays, Sharpton hates Mormons...Simple comparison.

Yeah he failed to disclose it the first time and he was discharged for it. I'll agree with that. But to RECALL him because they needed him, and then discharge him over the same reason. Tell me how THAT is fair.

I assume you mean the British Armed Forces, there is no such thing as the "English military".

However, their rules are irrelevant when dealing with US military personnel who flout authority

Errr how about answering the question I asked rather than acting like a pompus jerk.

Are you illiterate?

He was discharged the first time under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He didn't have anything to disclose; the Navy already knew he was gay.

This is a quote from the original Stars & Stripes article:

And since his command already knew he was gay, why should he not give an interview to Stars & Stripes.

Fairness is not the issue.

Honesty and integrity are what's at stake