Lez Keep It Real

Let’s forget, for a moment, the fact that this war is clouded in controversy. Let’s forget about the millions of dollars being wasted. Let’s forget that “don’t ask, don’t tell” does more harm than good. And let’s even try to forget about the thousands of lives lost for a seemingly unnecessary cause.

I want to focus in on something else at the moment. I want to draw your attention to one, single story. Just one, out of the billions that occur on a daily basis because of this war, because maybe it will open your eyes even wider to the fact that GLBT casualties of war are just as serious, just as important and just as newsworthy as everything else.

One morning this past June, Ciara Durkin sat at her computer at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan and wrote a chilling e-mail to a friend in Massachusetts.

“Ok. so today a crazy soldier pulled a 9mm on me . . . don’t go telling people. . . . he’s in jail and i’m doing better. TTYL,” she wrote.

Weeks later, Durkin, an Army specialist who worked in finance, dispatched another in a series of e-mails to family and friends. The tone of this message, sent on the Fourth of July, was utterly different. She was exultant.

“Well, as the first of the gang of us to officially hit the 4th of July (12:10 am here, lol) Happy 4th,” Durkin wrote. “I am more than happy to be here making sure you have this day to celebrate. Regardless of politics, this is worth it to me.”

She signed off with a mention of her upcoming leave. “I’ll be home in 2 months, no complaints here.”

Durkin, 30, came home as planned, but would never make it back for good. On Sept. 28th, her body was found on the base with a single bullet in her head, her M-16 nearby. The Army has declared her death a noncombat related incident, but has provided no more public information about how the ebullient flame-haired soldier died.

There are only two ways that Durkin could have died: She either shot herself or was shot by someone else on the base. Her first e-mail suggests she had something to fear. And friends and family have said that she was a passionate young woman who had many plans for her life after the service. They insist she would never have killed herself, and are increasingly anxious for the Army to offer some definitive answers. Soon. ~ The Boston Globe

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According to the article, the Durkin family declined to be interviewed and are anxiously awaiting an explanation from the military.

I wouldn’t be surprised if no explanation was ever given.

For those of you who don’t know, Durkin was a lesbian. She was also an Red Sox fans, a devout vegetarian, a lover of animals, volunteered at a local hospital, revered her Irish heritage and had future plans to enter the “real” world after her tour of duty came to a close. She also had plans to marry.

Everything in her history and in her life leading up to her death does not point to suicide. And while those closest to Durkin don’t believe she was targeted because of her sexual orientation, I can’t help but wonder if maybe that played a bigger part than they think.

Under “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Durkin was not required to inform others of her sexual orientation. And it was reported that the members of her unit were as shocked to find out about her death as they were when they found out she was a lesbian.

Although the autopsy will be completed by the end of this month, an investigation into Durkin’s death by the military could take years.

But, according to Durkin’s family and friends, there are two places the military can start.

First, the encounter Durkin had with a fellow soldier who put a gun to her head. And second, the fact that she mentioned she was “worried about some things she had seen in Afghanistan” and “had made some enemies.”

Was Durkin killed because of something she saw or found out? Was she killed because of her sexual orientation? Or was it a suicide?

“I’m always a soldier, that’s in my blood,” Durkin wrote in one of her last e-mails. “But I will enjoy a reprise from the whole war thing.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m ruling out the latter of the three. And I pray that the truth comes out eventually.

ciara durkin, the boston globe, glbt casualties of war, don’t ask don’t tell