Gay Marine rocks the U.S. military

[Ian David]

published Friday, March 2, 2007

Staff Sgt. Eric Alva lost his leg nearly four years ago when he stepped on a land mine in the desert in Kuwait. He was the first U.S. Marine to be seriously wounded in the Iraq conflict.



In Bethesda Naval Hospital, Alva was visited by President Bush and Laura Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and ex-basketball player Michael Jordan.

As the first Marine to be injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Alva became a household name. He was a guest on "Oprah" and was awarded a Purple Heart. Unsurprisingly, his good looks and polite charm made him a poster boy for military bravery and inspiring patriotism.

The opportunistic, media-savvy establishment figures queuing up for their photo ops were unaware of one crucial fact in this story -- the 5'1" Latino from San Antonio just happens to be gay.

More:
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2007/03/02/1

[xchrom]

1. as the world turns.

truth is always more fabulous than fiction.

[purduejake]

2. Nobody deserves that...

But given the situation he's been dealt, he certainly seems to be making the best of it. If I were in his situation, I'd probably be struggling with adjustment issues - but this man is strong enough to become a national spokesperson. Good for him, and good for us although it goes without saying that I'd rather he was never injured in the first place.

[catgirl]

3. Good for him to come out

"don't ask, don't tell" is a shameful policy.