Two years ago, Pvt.

Tuesday, June 19, 2001

Two years ago, Pvt. 1st Class Barry Winchell was beaten to death with a baseball bat by soldiers who perceived him as gay. The implications of Winchell’s murder continue to reverberate throughout the services today.

On June 1, the Pentagon announced a record 1,231 gay discharges for the past fiscal year. Some 572 were in the Army. Of those, 161 (contrasted with 17 a year earlier) were from Fort Campbell, Ky., the base where Winchell was killed.

Paul Gott, an Army officer and doctor, was one of those discharged. He was an attending physician when Winchell was brought into the hospital, gasping his last breaths, his head shattered like an eggshell.

Now, during Gay Pride Month, it would be appropriate for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to exercise leadership and put a stop to the abuse inflicted upon soldiers. Rumsfeld must set a standard of conduct for his military and ensure that those who harass as well as those who condone harassment are held accountable.

Congress should repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." A Gallup Poll published this month finds that 72 percent of Americans believe gays should serve our country – up 20 percent from a decade ago. There must be safe, confidential places for service members to report harassment without fear of retribution.

There are as many reasons for leaving the services as there were discharges last year. Each tells the story – and should be a reminder – of a moment when a service member simply would not or could not tolerate the harassment and discrimination any longer. For Paul Gott, it was the night he met Barry Winchell.