Everybody is a “somebody.” That was the message Lt. Dan Choi had for students at Ohio State on Monday night.

Choi, a former member of the U.S. Army and an Iraq War veteran, was discharged from the military for breaking the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy when he came out on The Rachel Maddow Show.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian service members.

Choi spoke to a crowd of about 350 people about his activism in the gay rights movement, his coming out process and the need to stand up for those without a voice.

Choi spoke of his own struggle with being gay in the military, telling the audience that he occasionally made homophobic statements to try to hide it from his fellow service members.

He also shared stories about the inner conflict he faced while trying to create an open and accepting democratic society in Iraq but having to hide a large part of who he was.

Choi said he chose to come out when he did because he met his first boyfriend and fell in love.

“For a long time, I didn’t think that romance was for me. That was for straight people,” Choi said. He put a humorous twist on it by quoting popular music lyrics about love.

“I understood what Beyonce was saying! ‘Looking so crazy, your love’s got me looking, got me looking so crazy in love,'” Choi joked, reciting the lyrics to Beyonce’s song “Crazy in Love.”

He talked about the challenge of telling his parents, a mother who was set on him marrying a Korean girl and a father who was a Southern Baptist minister. He told his mother first.

“I waited 28 years to say those three words to her: ‘I am gay,'” Choi said. He said he was sure to keep everything in the context of love, which was a focal point of his speech.

Choi encouraged attendees to get involved in the movements for gay and civil rights.

“It’s not just about the legal rights,” he said. “It’s about your somebody-ness.”

Choi encouraged the audience to stand and yell, “I am somebody. I deserve full equality right here, right now.”

His speech was especially relevant at a time when bullying about sexual orientation has led to suicides and consequent media coverage. Choi addressed the need for acceptance, calling everyone present to act for change.

“How many more have to die?” Choi asked. “You have to show them love. You have to show them they’re not alone. You don’t have to be gay to do it.”

Choi referenced the recent suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, along with several others.

“I wonder how many of the kids ever felt like they were trapped somehow into their own closet of shame. Wherever you are, you must stand up for other people and let it shine,” he said, referencing the popular spiritual hymn “This Little Light of Mine.”

The event, sponsored by OUAB, was held in connection with GLBT awareness month, recognized in October, said Daniel Walls, lectures chair for OUAB, in an e-mail.

Mary Jo Hudson, director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, presented a proclamation on behalf of Gov. Ted Strickland that Oct. 11 would be recognized as National Coming Out Day in Ohio.

Walls said OUAB felt strongly about bringing Choi because the organization wanted to “enrich the diverse campus atmosphere.”

Choi’s message seemed to resonate with audience members, who gave him a standing ovation at the end of his speech.

Jamie Gaynes, a third-year in psychology, said she was impressed by his sense of humor and dedication.

“He’s definitely had it rough, and the fact that he’s able to laugh on the other side is really inspirational,” Gaynes said. “This is true activism, and it’s not something you see all the time.”

Elena Krupa, a third-year in chemistry, said she was impressed by his powerful message.

“It’s one of the greatest speeches I’ve ever heard,” Krupa said. “I think people are afraid to come to things like this and stand up for gay people because they don’t want people to think they’re gay.”

But Choi said he feels it is his duty to speak out for others.

“It is crazy to do nothing,” he said.