Iraq Vet Darren Manzella Talks About Coming Out, Military Gay Ban

Darren Manzella talks about his tours of Iraq, coming out, and 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in this new video interview from CNN.

Says Manzella: "After returning from my first deployment in Iraq, after seeing death and violence, losing friends and comrades, it really made me look over my life...I looked at some issues I had always had trouble with. I had debated, 'Am I gay?'"

You may remember Manzella's interview with 60 Minutes, after which he was discharged under DADT.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Army Discharged 11 in January for Being Gay

The Army discharged 11 soldiers in January alone under its failed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy:

 "Democratic Rep. Jim Moran said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed. In a statement released on Thursday, Moran said the discharged soldiers included an intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motor-transport operator and a water-treatment specialist. 'How many more good soldiers are we willing to lose due to a bad policy that makes us less safe and secure?' asked Moran, a member of the House panel that oversees military spending."

And I apologize that this rally slipped by me earlier this week, but tomorrow, on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol at noon, Servicemember's Legal Defense Network is holding a Freedom to Serve rally as part of its Lobby Day.

SLDN writes: "People from all backgrounds - gay, straight, young, old, black, white, Latino, Asian - will come together to raise their voices for equality and call upon Congress and President Obama to take action. Our message will ring loud and clear: The time for repeal is now."

Listen to former Army Sergeant Darren Manzella's message about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the rally tomorrow, AFTER THE JUMP...

'60 Minutes' Sergeant Darren Manzella Discharged Under 'DADT'

Army Sergeant Darren Manzella, whose story was the subject of a 60 Minutes piece back in December, has been discharged under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, the Servicemember's Legal Defense Fund reports:

"The Iraq war veteran was the first openly gay active duty service member to speak with the media while serving inside a war zone....Manzella, 30, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2002 and was twice deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While under fire on the streets of Baghdad, he provided medical care to his fellow soldiers, Iraqi National Guardsmen and civilians. He was awarded the Combat Medical Badge, and also received several other awards recognizing his courage and service."

Watch the 60 Minutes segment, AFTER THE JUMP...

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USA Today takes a look at "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" 60 Minutes Army Sergeant Darren Manzella: "Manzella says he was invited to join more than 600 members of an invitation-only MySpace group, Guys and Gals Like Us, for gays who don't hide their orientation from their units. The members use pseudonyms because some gay servicemembers have been discharged for acknowledging their sexual orientation elsewhere online. Nearly 12,000 troops have been dismissed under the policy approved by President Clinton in 1993. Discharges peaked at 1,273 in 2001 and have fallen sharply since the war began. 'A lot of servicemembers are getting 'wink-wink' treatment from their commanders,' says Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which studies the policy."

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60 Minutes Army Sergeant Manzella to Speak in D.C.

Army Sergeant Darren Manzella, whose story was featured on the recent 60 Minutes episode covering "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, will make his first public appearance for the Servicemen's Legal Defense Network on January 9 from 6-8pm, at the Army-Navy Club (at 901 17th Street, N.W.) in Washington D.C.

According to SLDN, "The event, which is free and open to the public, will also feature Darren's mom, Nancy Manzella, who is traveling to Washington to support Darren as he speaks out about his experience serving as an openly gay soldier."

Said Manzella shortly after the 60 Minutes broadcast: "I have not received any notification, positive or negative, from my command since I notified them of my participation in the story or since the broadcasting of the segment...I have served with many men and women in Iraq, Kuwait and throughout the United States. In my opinion, they do not care if a service member is gay or straight. These men and women are my brothers and sisters in arms and I am the same to them. I know that what matters to most is not the sexual orientation of the person in your unit. What matters most is if that person is a good worker, a team player and most importantly, if that person has your back when it rewally matters whether it be in a combat zone, during a training exercise or day to day operations. I think that a majority of troops are in favor, or at the very least indifferent, to the repeal of this policy. I find that many are surprised that so much power and influence over the fate of this policy lies in the hands of individuals who are not even in the ranks of the military."

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Via Think Progress comes notice that the 60 Minutes "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" piece really riled up Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues with the conservative group Concerned Women for America (CWA).

Said Concerned Woman spokesman Matt Barber to Cybercast News Service: "The military is no place for such radical San Francisco-style social experimentation, especially during a time of war. It's been the Department of Defense's long-standing position that to allow open homosexual behavior and other immoral conduct harms unit cohesion and troop morale. I know this to be true from personal experience," he stated. "I served 12 years in the military. During basic training, one of my fellow recruits was sent home for soliciting sex from other male recruits. The incident was an enormous distraction from our task at hand, which was to learn how to be good soldiers. Instead, recruits were violated, complaints were filed, and our command was forced to conduct a thorough investigation. It was an incredible waste of time and resources, and it definitely harmed troop morale and unit cohesion. If the bleeding-heart lefties over at CBS News and the SLDN really want to do something to support our troops and help the military, they should abandon their attempts to radically alter and undermine the armed forces, pipe down, put a cork in it and let our brave fighting men and women win this war on terror."

Hear that former Congressman Bob Barr, former General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili, former Defense Secretary William Cohen, and former Republican Senator Alan Simpson?

Matt Barber of The Concerned Women for America wants you to put a cork in it.