Were any of the Birmingham football players under the age of 18? If the football players did not obtain entertainment work permits from the state Labor Commissioner, then labor laws were violated. (The $500 payment to the school serves as indirect compensation to the photograph model.) Violation can be reported via http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/

I was in the Navy. There was a guy in a leadership position who everyone knew was gay. Some guys didn't like him for that but most didn't seem to care. He didn't have to lie about anything. No one asked him if he was gay so he never said. He just lived his life normally for him. I don't run around saying I'm straight. Gay people don't ahve to run around saying they are gay.

I want to note that despite arguments of unit cohesion and soldiers uncomfortable about others' sexuality, how do we reconcile this when campaigning with allied armies that already accept gays in mililary.

In the Navy 1982-1985. Many gays on the ship. everyone knew who they were and left them to their own devices. No worries. They should have left things the way they were before DADT

While I am not an expert in the detail regarding how to propagate gay or lesbian perspective within the confines of daily military life, this man sounds like a real asset to his fellow soldiers and the military in whole. It is a grave disservice to us all, that a soldier who is a great asset AND believes in honesty and integrity, could be treated in this manner.

There must be other ways to balance the circumstances of sexual preference with daily life!

I hope that the army will find a way to make this right. Make sure you write to President Obama directly and let him know you are here. He does reach out and you have an awfully good reason.

You know it was the strict and really, dysfunctional perspective of the pre-60s generation that led to the movement of the 60s!

Dan is one of the bravest men I know. In regards to Brennen, you don't run around saying "I'm straight, I'm straight", but do you go around living your life in fear that you could be beaten, loose your job or career and loose your benefits because you choose to love someone of the same sex? I don't think so....there is a difference Brennen. Your view point is very narrow minded.

Well Chris, the gay people I know, and they are all open about it, don't live their life fearing they may get beaten, lose their job or any benefits. So why do you think gay people live their lives this way?

How about an army expert who spends most his time controlling a drone aircraft remotely who is sitting alone in a control room?

You ever meet a young gay person in a small town in mid-west? Or heck , In Fresno or in Mariposa? Let's see, teenage suicide is highest among gay teens so I guess we are doing a great job of integrating all different communities into the human race.

You can't hide being black, asian or a woman....but the one thing that people think folks should be able to hide is sexuality...why?

These callers who are supporting "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" are amazingly naive when they say things like, "Dan Choi should just have not told people he was gay."

Would they then say that he should NEVER invite his partner to a dinner outing with other soldiers and their (heterosexual) partners? Would these callers be willing to pretend that they do not have a husband/boyfriend or wife/ girlfriend?

Their ignorance about the realities about being gay is quite stunning --- if heterosexual soldiers are so uncomfortable / afraid about homosexual soldiers in their midst, they are probably not brave enough to be defending our nation against REAL enemies that they might encounter through their work in the military!

Straight people don't go around saying their straight? Public displays of affection, wedding rings & engagement parties, bachelor parties, etc. are these not public affirmations of straight relationships? A gay person does not have the same rights to express themselves as straight people - in the military or in the general population - becuase even today in 2009 all of the above mentioned expressions that are perfectly acceptable for straights are frowned upon and even illegal for gays. All Dan Choi is doing is trying to level the playing field and have the FREEDOM to be honest about who he is not what he does. We are fighting a war, we need everyone we can get to help!

Thank you Austin and the caller on line just reinforced my point.

My dad was drafted in the Korean war. He said that during his 2 years in the service that there were always soldiers who were gay, that everyone knew who was gay, there were gay officers and that no one cared. Can't we just grow up?

This is a guy who is willing to die for his country...yet the country he serves discriminates against him.

I've never been in the war zone, but I would assume, while bullets are being shot, I wouldn't care who is fighting next to me - sexuality is completely irrelevant in the war zone.

I'm a heterosexual guy who used to be homophobic, sometimes hateful, but I have matured enough to understand everyone deserves equal rights. As I read some other people's comments here, I don't think they realize the issue is not as simple as just standing up and saying that you're gay or you're straight. People are not taking into account that normal day to day conversation between guys (and girls) imply their sexual orientation. Young straight guys often make comments on how sexually attractive a girl is and by doing so it implies their sexual orientation. Why can't you allow the same freedom of speech to homosexuals? It's really an issue of freedom of speech, freedom of expression. We need to get rid of the intolerance mentality.

Hi, I’ll be upfront and preface my comment by saying that I really don’t know the history and the reasoning behind the implementation of don’t ask don’t tell policy, so my opinion, and this is purely my own opinion, may not be qualified. But after listening to Lt Dan Choi’s reasoning for coming out, I really can’t see why they’d fire him. I don’t see what detriment may have been caused by his honesty.

And if it’s for the solidification and stronger unity of the army, what better to bring ppl together than to make oneself vulnerable and transparent? I think that’s a better example of leadership than lying and hiding behind unreasonable policies like don’t ask don’t tell. Lying breeds barriers between people.

I agree with Lt Choi. I think it’s stupid to punish, instead of honoring the willing and brave soldiers because of army's wanting to stick by the guidelines.

And I’m a Christian. And I consider homosexuality to be sin. Just like lusting after a woman is sin. And lying is sin. And it’s not a life style I would condone, but I commend Lt Choi for his courage and wish him the best.

Russia Now vs. Then:

I think it was much easier to deal with Russia then. Our President at least knew he was deadling with the man in charge. President Obama now must deal with the President, the Oligarchs, the criminal underworld, and of course Mr Putin.

To the caller mentioning his desire to join as a health officer despite the fact he's gay, I'm in the same situation.

I've always wanted to join the Army. My father and both grandfathers served but that family legacy is likely to end because of DADT. It's simply too much of a risk right now. I refuse to see years of work and sacrifice go down the toilet simply because of a stupid personnel policy, which only harms our military and national security.

If DADT is not repealed the Army (and the military in general) will likely continue to lose out on thousands of highly qualified would-be soldiers.

Pat, I'm sorry! My cellular device died right before you put me on the air! I was so let down!!

Anyways, I've heard a lot of Don't Ask Don't Tell talk this past week on the show. If there's any more discussion on the topic, and if this question can be pulled up, I ask this...

Why are homosexuals so compelled to join the military? I simply couldn't see myself joining if I was gay. If it's a question about serving your country, surely there are other ways to do it--ways that don't put up so much resistance or down right shame you in the process. Maybe some non gay-friendly institutions or establishments are best left they way they are?

I don't think that don't ask don't tell is good for the army or the country but what annoys me is the pressure that is being put on President Obama on this issue so early in his term. We have just come off of 8 yrs of a republican regime which used the gay rights issue as one of it's tools to split the voters and divert from the real issues. With a war in Iraq, the recession, the need for health care reform, energy reform and the peril our planet is in, why would anyone want to play into the oppositions hands and allow this issue to take precedent and again divert the issue. There is only so much political capital, with success on health care, energy etc. President Obama will gain more political capital to use later on this issue. I do not think that should he use his capital now for this issue he would be stronger later for health care +

Reading these comments and rebuttals seems to show me the difference in opinions of those who have been in the military and those who have not.
Yes, your daily conversations can insinuate your sexual preference and as I said before the guy in a leadership position lived his life normally day to day, hence why we all knew he was gay.
'Tenant Dan wanted to make a point and he successfully has. Dont ask dont tell doesn't negativly impact the lives of gay soliders (from what I've seen). Up until this day did Dan have any problems? I'd bet no. He wanted to make a point and he has. I hope in the end his sacrifice was worth it to him and his cause.

As I was driving home listening to your story about the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy in the military, I found myself getting very frustrated with the ignorance some of the callers demonstrated. Their comments seemed to me to be nothing more than fear of difference at best or bigotry at worst thinly veiled in faulty logic.

First, I take issue with the false analogy one caller used saying that people wouldn’t tell others if they had been to prison in the past, thus implying that it should be equally easy not to tell people that they are gay. By comparing homosexuality with breaking laws/ serving time in prison, the caller was implying that homosexuality is bad and is something to be ashamed of, something to hide. Second, this analogy would lead one to think that one’s sexual orientation is something that is not pertinent to everyday life, which is clearly false. One caller said that straight people don’t run around saying they are straight, and this is true, but we do talk about our relationships. I mention my husband in conversation innumerable times each day, not as a declaration of my sexual orientation, but simply to relay some idea or story from my life. In even the most simplistic and casual of conversations, issues such as marriage, relationships, and romantic interests come up as a matter of course. A person’s sexual orientation, their romantic history, and their relationships are integral to and inseparable from whom they are and to expect people to lie (for that to me is the only way to realistically cover up homosexuality) to their peers is an illogical and cruel policy.

Second, another caller argued that we need to keep the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in place in order to keep people safe from uncomfortable sexual situations. The caller said that if soldiers were showering with someone they knew was gay, that problems would ensue and it would be akin to having women and men shower together. This is completely illogical because gay men and women are already serving in the military and showering with their peers. All the policy change would mean is that the soldiers would know who was gay and who wasn’t. This desire to have people hide the truth just allows ignorance and intolerance to continue, while hurting soldiers on a daily basis.

Do I understand correctly that Lt Choi is a Republican? As a lifelong Democrat, I would feel much more uncomfortable serving with someone who does not share my Liberal viewpoints than with someone who is gay. I could no more serve with him beside me than I could with Rush Limbaugh or Pat Buchanan next to me. Seriously, bravo to Lt Choi for presenting this to the Armed Services and ultimately to the Commander in Chief. If we can have a Black in the Whitehouse, we can have gay people in the armed services. And Pres Obama should be called upon to right this injustice NOW.

Back in 1970 I was drafted into the Army. Because Nixon was withdrawing the troops from Nam I served stateside in Arizona. I'm sure that a lot of people suspected I was "gay"; however, that did not prevent me from serving well, having lots of straight friends and getting an honorable discharge at the end of my service. True, I was closeted and if I had admitted to the draft board that I was gay, I would probably not have been drafted. But it is now long past the time that the last minority, that can actually be legally treated as such, be accepted into the general society at large and allowed all their rights as US citizens and given legal protection against all forms of discrimination.

I was driving so couldn't call in today on the Lt. Choi segment. Would be nice if Obama would grow a pair and get rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ASAP. Alas, he is turning out to be more politician than agent of change.

I hope Lt.Choi appeals all the way to the Supremes, because by the time he exhausts his appeals, the makeup of the Court (heaven grant!) may have changed.

But why does he have to go that arduous way, while putting his life back together on an ad hoc basis, never knowing whether he will be returned to service.

Obama could change this overnight, if he had the cojones. LBJ, whatever his faults, and they are many, would never have let Congress walk all over him. He would have rammed through a change in "Don't Ask Don't Tell" quicker than you could say "rampant discrimination".

To kick an officer like Lt Choi out of the service has not only wasted enormous amounts of taxpayer money; that's the least of it (and, as he notes, his is only one case of rampant, stupid injustice; the total amounts wasted he says are in the half-billion) -- it also has HUGE negative effect on the military's readiness.

It's OK to let a teenage snotnose soldier from hick country who couldn't get a job in the civilian sector torture people in underground dungeons. It's not OK to let a highly educated and trained officer with special language skills -- one who served proudly in theatre, continue to serve his country. No, that's not OK. Insensate! Obama, why don't y ou act!!!

There was another case of wasting Arabic speakers some years ago, also in the Bush Administration. Thirty Arabic-speaking American Jews were refused their service right after 9/11 -- when we were dying for Arabic speakers -- because (the Admin. "feared") they would be too sympathetic to Israel!!! Do you believe??!!

I think we should keep the DADT policy...as long as it applies to Heterosexuals as well.

Heterosexuals and Homosexuals should be booted out on equal grounds...then there wouldn't be such a ridiculous set of double-standards. And then, NO ONE would talk about S-E-X...but everyone could have pictures of their loved ones...and go to dinner with whomever they please!

Moreover, Lt. Choi aside, I'll bet there have been lots of gays who have been discharged..but the people who turned them in, tacitly "asking," were never charged with an equal violation of DADT.

No?

I'll bet a lot of straight women would be relieved by a policy that threw out soldiers who talked about straight sex... lol