It’s a big moment in every new administration, firing a gay Arabic linguist for the first time. We all recall how emotional Clinton got about it, and some say that the unfortunate way it was handled during George H.W. Bush’s term was the main reason John Sununu lost his job as Chief of Staff. Most historians see Lyndon Johnson’s termination of Dean Lee Brickman as the most effective (and humorous; who can forget that vaudeville-style hook Johnson brought to the press conference) gay Arabic linguist firing, but I think Reagan’s stern dismissal in 1981 of his gay Arabic linguist, with that curt but direct salute, went a long way toward establishing the tone for his presidency and is too often overlooked by our liberal media.
