Minnesota man arrested while trying to enlist. The problem? He’s gay

Four Harvard University students were arrested at a military recruiting center in Portland, Maine, on Wednesday and charged with criminal trespass after they refused to leave. One of those arrested was Minnesota resident Jake Reitan. Reitan tried to enlist at the military recruiting center, but was denied when he disclosed that he is a gay man.

The group of students is touring the country for a campaign called Harvard Right to Serve and is asking senators from key states to support a repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a military policy that discharges openly gay and lesbian service members and prevents the military from recruiting openly gay or lesbian Americans. The group is targeting Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; John McCain, R-Ariz.; Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.; and Barack Obama, D-Ill.

“The only way this bill is going to be repealed is when the stories of gay people who want to serve get heard and when that causes people to move to action to demand change,” Reitan said Wednesday. “So I think it’s a very effective way of making this point clear. Plus, as any young person who wants to serve their country, I ought to be able to walk in there and make that attempt.”

Reitan is a student at Harvard Divinity School. Along with his parents, Phil and Randi, he was featured in a documentary called “For the Bible Tells me So.” The family has been active in advocacy for LGBT equality.

Randi Reitan reacted to her son’s arrest: “As a mom, I couldn’t be more proud of Jake,” she said Wednesday afternoon, shortly after Jake was released form booking. “Sometimes an arrest is a good arrest. Sometimes getting into trouble is good because it brings to light a terrible injustice.”

The Portland action was the second of four planned stops. The group videotaped its action at a Boston recruiting station last week.

The campaign is also the subject of a documentary called “Ask Not.”