Washington DC, 1995
The floor of the Senate,
The Don’t ask don’t tell debate
“Are we really shocked that these people want to let homo’s into the military, this is not the kind of thing this country stands for it’s not what the military wants and frankly Captain America would be disgusted at even the suggestion of letting these homo’s in.” The Republican representative from California said with a voice of deep hatred, the man ignored the rooms gasps as he said a slur without shame on the senate floor, twice.
Jim Morita watched firstly as a woman from Colorado called out Cunnigham and then as Sanders did. They were doing a pretty good job and he appreciated what they were doing as the gentlewomen women pointed out how disgusting the statement was and Bernie pointed out that 1000’s of gay men that gave and risk their lives for this country. It didn’t help the anger bubbling under his skin that one of those gay men who gave his life for this country was being held up as a reason why we should continue to hate. That somehow all these decades later Steve’s name was still being used to support rules that would have persecuted him.
This was by no means the first time this had happened, Captain America was brought up anytime anything controversial was happening, from women's rights to gay rights to ending segregation. The fact that he had led the first integrated US military unit was conveniently forgotten by those who voted against the Voting Rights Act. The problem was that recently Jim had had hope. With the discussions that had been going on in the previous few days, he had thought that maybe gay men might one day soon be able to serve openly. Hope that just maybe before he died he could have made up for not being supportive to Steve when he had been alive and given him a legacy that he would have actually agreed with.
Steve would have gauped at don’t ask don’t tell the idea that they might have not actually gone diving into his past and his everyday actions but the conversations he had been having with people like sanders had let him hope for more. He had hoped that maybe he could have made it so gay soldiers could serve openly. Steve & bucky would have loved that, the idea that they could walk down the street holding hands. Not had to be cautious about just how many times they had been in a room alone together and how suspicious others might find that. The idea that maybe just maybe two lovers who had been together for a decade by the time they were in the army might have been able to sleep in the same bed. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew that would be a hard fight but the fact that the legacy of steve was fighting against him in it made his blood boil and his heartache.
Standing up the chair quickly recognised him and offered him 10 minutes, over double the time that the others had received. It did pay to be recognised as a member of the howling commandos most of the kids around him had grown up hearing about him and most of them, on both sides of the aisle, asked for an autograph the first time they met. Jim knew that he was acting impulsively he had managed to hold back on doing this many times before; in fact, he had not called someone out for miss using Captain America’s name in over 30 years. Dear lord though he was going to do it now no matter how much he might regret it and the backlash it might cause later.
“I hope that you will all forgive an old man his war stories but in this debate, we have heard a lot about what Captain America might think and I thought that as the only person here who knew him maybe I can shed some light onto it.” He started and paused making sure that he had the attention of the entire senate.
“I met Captain America or Steve Rogers as I knew him in 1944 when he saved mine and many other soldiers lives when he single-handed freed a HYDRA run POW camp. I was honoured to be chosen to be part of his unit. Who would have thought that he a bastion of everything that American men were supposed to be would want to work with a Jap. But he did and he was by far the best and kindest man that I have ever known and he treated everyone with respect and kindness, with of course the obvious exception of some Nazi’s.”
“Despite the fact that he had always treated us with respect we didn’t always treat him with it. Not long after our mission to hunt Hydra began me and Monty found, Captain America and Sergent Bucky Barnes in an abandoned farmhouse in France. They were having sex and making declarations of love safe in the knowledge that we were meant to be in a completely different building.” Jim took a deep breath before continuing.
“We did not react well and they were forced to accept that despite the fact they were risking their lives for their country and, in fact, had done and achieved more for the country that perhaps anyone else alive had, their country would not respec nor support them. Their country would abandon them, at best they would get a blue ticket a discharge that would get stop them from ever being able to get a job or live freely and at worst they would go to prison and live in conditions that should horrify all of you.
“So when you say that Captain America would be ashamed to let ‘homo’s’ into the military you couldn’t be more wrong. The men that you grew up hero-worshipping were two gay men that were utterly in love, they were childhood sweethearts who gave their lives for this country. They were not in a position to hope for what we are discussing at the moment. The idea that they could be open together, that on leave they could share a room without it being questioned or have held hands in public would have blown their minds. They would have loved to be able to do that; as do the 1000’s of gay men that are still serving in the military today, men that have a similar best case scenario as Captain America and Sergent James Buchan Barnes did half a century ago; that fact alone is despicable. They will get discharged from the military and outed to the rest of the world, this can lead to them losing housing, family and make it near impossible to get a job and all because they chose to serve their country.”
“These soldiers that have risked their lives for their country deserve to not only be able to serve without having to fear their lives being investigated and quizzed on what they do in their evenings, but they also deserve the right to be able to serve openly. To be able to speak of their loved ones and sweethearts back home the way that everyone else does. I remember sitting in a cage next to Bucky as we all talked about the women that we had left back home, he would always lie and say that he didn’t want to be tied down. He didn’t even have the freedom to share and talk about home the way that everyone surrounding him did, something that was one of the only things that kept me sane in that hell. Gay soldiers today deserve to be able to share and be open with those around them those that they are taught to trust will have there back. They deserve to get the same welcome home that every other soldier does and actually be able to embrace their partner when they see each other for the first time in months.
“I tell you all without hesitation or question that Captain America would have fully supported Gay soldiers being allowed into the military and would have fully supported them being able to serve openly. It would have been a dream for him to have been able to live and love openly and I will not stand by and let bigots take his name and use to persecute people just like him.”
The room was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop and Jim walked out, he wasn't sure what would come of this but he had finally said it and dear lord he would not hear anyone tell him that Steve Rogers was a bigot ever again.