Army recruiters turn away gay students from Northwestern University

Army recruiters turn away gay students from Northwestern University
By Gary Barlow
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press

Three Northwestern University students tried to sign up for the Army Aug. 22 in Chicago but were turned down after telling recruiters they were gay.

“We were all just rejected,” said Rob Fojtik, shortly after he and fellow students Rachelle Faroul and Kelsey Pacha were turned away at the U.S. Army recruiting office at 1239 N. Clybourn.

“We got no further than telling him we wanted to be in the Army Reserve,” Fojtik said.

After the students told Army Sgt. Roger White they were gay and wanted to enlist, White read them the Army’s policy banning recruits who are openly gay.

“This is a completely ridiculous policy,” Fojtik said. “All three of us are qualified.”

As Northwestern students, the three are likely far more qualified than many of the recruits the Army and other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces have been accepting lately. Military officials have acknowledged that they’ve lowered the standards for recruits in recent months because of difficulties meeting recruiting goals. Other steps taken to fill the ranks include raising the maximum age for new soldiers and accepting recruits with criminal records.

Still, the Pentagon has been unable to recruit enough troops to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and meet its other obligations. On the very day the gay Northwestern students were rejected, the Marines announced that they were forcibly recalling thousands of soldiers to duty in Iraq, even though those soldiers have already served out their obligations.

Questioned about the rejection of the gay Northwestern students, however, a spokesman for the Army in Chicago said the students were free to ask Congress to tell the military to accept gay recruits. He did not indicate that military leaders were themselves considering asking Congress to change the Armed Forces’ anti-gay policy.

The students were part of a national campaign organized by Soulforce. As part of the campaign, young gays and lesbians have tried to enlist at recruiting stations across the country in recent weeks. Soulforce organizers said they plan a larger action at the 1239 N. Clybourn recruiting office Sept. 12.

“We will be back,” Fojtik said.