Exclusive Interview With Tom Goss & Matt Alber

Yesterday, we featured a free download from gay singer-songwriters Tom Goss and Matt Alber. The two artists recently teamed up with one another to record "Who We Are", a song which speaks out against the United States military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

Manhunt Daily was offered a chance to speak with Goss and Alber, and we jumped on the opportunity with no hesitation. After you've taken a moment to listen to their collaboration above, click through to check out what these two had to say about the inspiration behind the song, reactions they've received and how you can take steps to put an end to this discriminatory policy.

– Dewitt

To read our interview, follow the JUMP:

How did the song "Who We Are" come about? What was your process in writing it together?

Tom: I was driving Matt around showing him the sights while listening to NPR. As we were driving a story detailing Don't Ask, Don't Tell came on. Matt turned to me and said "we should write a song about DADT.” I absolutely agreed. Twenty minutes later we were writing "Who We Are". I haven't done much co-writing so I was excited to work with Matt. He has a much more disciplined writing process than I do, so it was great to be able to learn from that.

Matt: It was six days before the Snow-pocalypse of 2010, and Tom and I were about to start our first tour together. He was driving me around D.C. on a $2.00 sightseeing tour (in his flip-flops) and as we drove past the Capitol building, I turned to him and said, "Hey, we should write a song about Don't Ask Don't Tell." Four days later we'd recorded the song at his buddy Raciel's studio and were shooting a YouTube video in front of the Capitol with two discharged servicemembers. Tom was still wearing his flip-fops.

You've received some powerful reactions in response to the song, including some from service members themselves. Are there any that you're able to share?

Tom: My cousin called me about two hours ago crying. She said she has been watching the video non-stop since its release. She is a Navy veteran and is very passionate about the injustices of DADT. I've been receiving a lot of messages from discharged service members, but none hit as close to home as this.

Matt: The very first person I sent the song to was my buddy Jonathon. He was a decorated Marine who served in Afghanistan. His story doesn't include a dramatic investigation or a dishonorable discharge. Jonathon's is much more common, though. He served in daily fear of being outed while becoming a strong leader among his peers and at the completion of his tour of duty, exited without ever being able to be honest about who he is. Jonathon is in love with an active duty servicemember and he wrote this to me:

Your line about lovers sick of holding hands in the dark??? That hits home… I'm at a loss for words right now, but mostly because you and Tom pulled them out and put them out there for everyone to hear. The Marine in me says "Ooh-rah." The other part of me that loves a solider, says "Thanks." I'm completely blown away.

If anyone is interested in reading personal stories like Jonathon's they can visit www.facesofdadt.org.

We were floored when we read that the Traditional Values Coalition implied that a repeal of DADT could essentially lead to "bare-backing parties and other forms of homosexual orgies." What are some of the more ridiculous arguments you've heard in support of the policy?

Tom: I haven't heard that. That is really dumb. Honestly, I tried to find some Facebook groups that supported DADT and had a hard time doing so. I found a couple with fifty or so members that argued that "keep your business to yourself" kind of thing. I am a big fan of discretion and privacy, but it seems to me that the supporters of DADT don't understand the implications of how this policy is detrimental to not only LGBT service members but also those they serve with.

Matt: I'm so embarrassed of our country when I read things like this. I do believe in free speech. I just wish we all regarded that freedom as a privilege to work towards a more peaceful society that respects each other. I'm glad we have a professional organization like Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. They protect our troops from attacks, investigations and have spearheaded the effort to repeal DADT.

When do you think we'll see a repeal of DADT?

Tom: The fact that we are talking about it so much means that it's on its way out the door. That being said, it's important that we keep pushing until it's gone completely.

Matt: Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Justice delayed is justice denied." I sing those words in "Who We Are" and I believe them. While I understand that implementation of a new policy deserves consideration, we should be demanding that all current investigations of our servicemembers' based on sexual orientation be immediately discarded. We don't need a year to decide not to fire anymore brave troops.

What can everyday folks like us do to take action against the policy?

Tom: Donate to SLDN & educate yourself about the injustices of this policy. Read the personal stories online about discharged service members. Almost 14,000 LGBT men and women have been discharged as a result of DADT. In a time when the armed services is lowering its standards to include individuals with a history of mental illness and felons, what message are we sending our LGBT citizens by forcibly removing them from service? We are not second class citizens. Being gay is not something to be punished for. It's time to send that message loud and clear.

Matt: If anyone is interested in adding their voice to this outrage, they should first, contact their state representative and second, make a donation to SLDN. All the tools for doing something about this are at www.sldn.org/action.