For the second year, the City of Chicago held a tribute to GLBT veterans. 'With Liberty and Justice for All' attracted dozens of veterans and supporters to Daley Plaza downtown June 22.

Sponsored by the Chicago Commission on Human Relations Advisory Council on Veterans' Affairs, the Advisory Council on LGBT Issues, and the Department of Cultural Affairs, the event featured the first public speaking engagement in 10 years by military activist Miriam Ben-Shalom, a former U.S. Army Sergeant who battled against the military for years in the courts.

Also speaking was former Sgt. Jose Zuniga, U.S. Army Soldier of the Year in 1992, and one of the first victims of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' military gay ban. [ Zuniga's comments are on page 14. ]

The event also featured other tributes to GLBT veterans, and a speech by Windy City Media Group's MSgt. Jean Albright, a 20-year Air Force veteran, who is now on the board of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Jim Darby, secretary of the American Veterans for Equal Rights, was also among those addressing the crowd.

'What an honor it is to be in a city that understands that our service was not motivated by gain, not motivated by thoughts of profit, that we serve simply because we love the United States of America. We knew that we were not welcome and still we came,' Miriam Ben-Shalom said.

Following are more excerpts from Ben-Shalom's speech:

'I am angry at an administration in Washington, D.C., that changes the idea of what prisoners of war should have ... . I'm ashamed of a country that has an administration that touts their religion and talks about being born again and yet allows prisoners of war to be covered in feces and stand naked in front of other people and be forced to masturbate in public in front of other people. I'm outraged that this is the very same military that says gay people cannot serve. ...

'I am tired of the lies, I am tired of the games. I'm tired of the millions of dollars of taxpayer money that are spent every year in terms of discharging gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer veterans.

'I think about the 700 people and the 10,000 people since DADT who have been discharged and I think to myself, when I was discharged in 1978, when I went back to court in 1987 and was reinstated in the service, that my Army and my country spent about $6 million keeping me out. ... And think about the $100,000 it takes to put a recruit through basic training and the loss of an experienced soldier.

'I think about the Arab translators who were discharged from the language school that the military has. ... Today, more than ever, all these veterans that are here and all you veterans out there, understand what the meaning of service is. You did it once before. You stood with a gun in your hand and you choose to defend this country. We need you once again.

'For myself, my anger comes in one pure way. For 10 years I haven't spoken in public. I didn't know how I would feel about standing here today. I chose not to speak because I was tired. It was a long haul and I needed to take care of myself. And, if I ask you to stand up and speak out to insure liberty and justice for all becomes the hallmark of America and not just words spoken on a plaza in the center of the Windy City, I commit myself to you to speaking out for as long as it takes. Silence will not be an option for me. And because I ask you to do something, I will put myself on the line further.

'Mr. President, I have a Masters Degree. I speak three languages. I speak some Arabic. I have taught in the American prison system. I was a drill sergeant in the United States Army. I received a commendation and a promotion even though the military knew that I was gay. Mr. President, send me to Abu Gharib. My word to my country and the integrity that I believe is America, is that there will be no torture on my watch. There will be no naked prisoners on my watch. There will be no violations of the Geneva Convention on my watch. Mr. President, if you won't let us serve, let me serve, let me go. No soldier wants to go to war and no soldier is ready, but call me up and I will go tomorrow. This is my country. This is my Army. This is my land. This is my place. I won't see her dishonored any longer.

'God bless you, veterans. Take care. God speed. And bring our young men and women home now.'