美国国家公共电台 NPR To 'Get Even' With 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' He Brought Military Float To Pride Parade

 

SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:

This week for StoryCorps' Military Voices Initiative¹ - a story about being seen. In the final days of don't ask, don't tell, Navy operations specialist Sean Sala decided² to do what had never been done before - march with an active duty military contingent³ in a Pride parade. It was July of 2011, just two months before the end of the policy that barred LGBTQ people from serving openly in the U.S. armed forces. At StoryCorps, Sean sat down with his friend and fellow organizer Fernando Zweifach Lopez to remember.

SEAN SALA: There were people that killed themselves over don't ask, don't tell. So I felt like I needed to do something to get even with the policy. So I registered the float and then there I was on TV saying that this needed to happen and I didn't tell my command I was doing that.

FERNANDO ZWEIFACH LOPEZ: Oh, that's right, that's right. You know, I personally wasn't prepared for the backlash that we got internally. I remember two older lesbian veterans who approached me at a bar, and they told me that I was going to do so much harm.

SALA: I did get a lot of people that were like, you're going to get people kicked out. What you're doing is wrong.

LOPEZ: You called me in tears. And I said, look; there are always going to be people who are going to tell you no, and you have to just know that what you are doing is the right thing to do. And the news just exploded.

SALA: Exploded.

LOPEZ: And we're getting calls from all over the world, all over the country and people are saying, I'm driving in from Florida for this. I'm driving in from New York. And then there we were day of.

SALA: Day of.

LOPEZ: We lined up, and then the parade kicked off and it started with the military contingent. It was sort of really just quiet in anticipation⁴ of what was about to happen.

SALA: When we turned the corner, the sound of the crowd, I will never forget that. People were screaming.

LOPEZ: I remember seeing this senior veteran in a wheelchair crying, and he stood up and it was just so meaningful. And that's, I think, what so many people realize is that's the first time they feel like they're home, is at a Pride event.

SALA: As much as we did deal with BS, tons of people showed up, saying thank you for what you're doing. I was like wow, this is redemption. We got it done.

(SOUNDBITE OF BLUE DOT SESSIONS' "STEP IN STEP OUT")

MCCAMMON: That was Sean Sala speaking with his friend Fernando Zweifach Lopez. About 200 military service members showed up that day. The following year in 2012, Sean and Fernando fought for and won blanket approval from the Pentagon for all military service members to march in San Diego Pride in uniform. Sala and Lopez's interview will be archived, along with hundreds of thousands of others, at the Library of Congress.

(SOUNDBITE OF BLUE DOT SESSIONS' "STEP IN STEP OUT")

1 initiative   

n.主动性，首创精神，主动权（的行动），倡议

参考例句：

• He went to see the headmaster on his own initiative.他主动去看望校长。
• His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.雇主说他缺乏进取心和干劲。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

4 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。