Soldier Discharged Under Don't Ask, Don't Tell Runs For Congress

Anthony Woods, a candidate for the House of Representative seat vacated by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, has what one can describe as one of those “only in California” stories. He is the African American son of a single mom who grew up on military bases; he graduated on the dean’s list from West Point and served in command positions twice in Iraq; he earned a master’s degree from Harvard before the Army discharged him under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell after he belatedly realized his sexual orientation. It’s a diversity of background that helped him earn the endorsements of the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Veterans Press and VoteVets.org.

The special election to fill the 10th District seat held by Tauscher, who resigned after being appointed Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and National Security, will be held Sept. 1. Fourteen candidates crowd the field. They include fellow Democrats Lt. Governor John Garamendi, who is simultaneously testing the waters for a gubernatorial run next year, state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier and Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan. Those three, according to the Contra Costa Times>, are simultaneously running for a collective seven political offices.

Garamendi is a career politician with endorsements from Al Gore and Bill Clinton. Garamendi was neither born in nor lives in the 10th Congressional District. By contrast, however, Woods hails from Fairfield-a town of 100,000 known to most Bay Area residents as a gas stop off the interstate on the way to Vacaville’s outlet stores. He initially said he hadn’t thought about running for office until Tasucher’s resignation.

“I’ve been asking myself the same question for about four months now,” Woods, 29, told EDGE when asked about his candidacy. “This is the district where I grew up. I looked at the race and I looked at the issues and decided this is a chance for people to elect a person who’s experienced those issues.”

Woods noted he never had health insurance until he enlisted at the age of 18. He attended public schools before entering West Point.

“I learned what it’s like to fight a war you disagree with,” he said. “And I’m really big on public service.”

While Woods was Harvard and on a temporary break from Army life, he finally began to deal with his sexuality.

“I came to terms when I was about 27,” Woods said. “Graduate school was the first time to step away from military life. I was looking forward to serving in the Army and I was really looking forward to teaching at West Point. It was one of the most difficult decisions I ever made. It took me five or six months to make a decision. I knew if I told I would be giving up something I loved. But I don’t believe in lying.”

Woods said has a boyfriend in Washington named Zack … READ MORE