"I object": openly gay marine Stephen Funk comes out as the war's first conscientious objector. (Military).

When his Marine reserve unit was called to active duty in February, 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Stephen Funk did not report. The Marines classified him as a deserter.

But on April 1, after having been AWOL for 47 days, Funk turned himself in, in San Jose, Calif. In his hands he carried papers declaring himself a conscientious objector. In the application he also came out as a gay man. "My moral development has also been largely effected by the fact that I'm homosexual," he wrote.

In a surprising move of leniency, Funk was not arrested, though at press time the Marines were deciding how--or if--to punish him. He instead must report to San Jose while his application is processed. Still, if convicted as a deserter, he could face up to two years in military prison.

Did you know you were gay when you enlisted in February 2002?

Of course I did. And I knew all about "don't ask, don't tell." I knew I wouldn't be able to be out, but I figured I'd be able to deal with it. My discovery is about becoming a conscientious objector, not a gay man. And I'm not an activist for gays in the military. Some gay people think my coming out of the closet was wrong, and so do some antiwar people. They've asked me if it's just something else added on to my application to be sure I get out.

I don't want to be discharged because I am gay. I'm seeking discharge as a conscientious objector. The only reason I mentioned being gay [in the application] is that now I am just trying to be honest about everything, and I didn't feel I could do that if I continued hiding being gay. I'm a conscientious objector who just happens to be gay.

But you weren't out before?

I didn't come out to anybody, but a lot of recruits would ask me. I'd say no and change the subject. There are a lot of snitches in boot camp.

When you joined the Marines, you didn't realize you'd be training to kill people?

I did. But I underwent a change. And that change involved realizing who I am and what I am willing to do and not do. Now I don't think it's moral to kill just because the president says so.

How did being gay influence your conclusion that you are a conscientious objector?

As a gay person you're exposed to a lot of intolerance, hatred, and misunderstanding. You can react to it in two ways: You can learn to hate back, or you can learn that hating is wrong.

Also, the military strives to take out everything unique and special about you to erase your individuality in order to make you assimilate and be more efficient in combat. As a gay man I always knew I'd have to fight to keep part of my identity. And I think doing that helped me grow stronger in order to hear my own voice, to keep to my own values, and to listen to my own conscience about the morality of killing.

Some people will say your timing is not a coincidence and will accuse you of being a coward.

I think it took courage, not cowardice. Courage to stand up for what I really believe in Look, if I was involved in a process of killing people, I'd be responsible for that for the rest of my life.

In the military you don't have to think Not about what to wear or what to eat or when to sleep. And they don't want you to think about who you are or about the fact that you are going to be killing people. So it takes a lot of strength to really think about those things and then to come out on the other end and say it's wrong.

But now I'm being more responsible for my actions, not less. I don't see how you can call that cowardice.