Army Lieutenant Dan Choi, one of the
most visible opponents of “don't ask, don't tell,” was arrested
while protesting the policy Thursday outside the White House, gay
blog AmericaBlog.com
first reported.
Choi was discharged from the Army last
year after he announced he was gay on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow
Show.
After speaking at a DC event hosted by
the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Choi, along with Capt. Jim
Pietrangelo and a large crowd, marched to the White House, where the
men handcuffed themselves to the fence.
At the HRC event, which included
comedian Kathy Griffin, Choi announced: “Our fight is not here at
Freedom Plaza, it is at the White House. We are walking to the White
House right now to send the President a message. So, take out your
cell phones and your cameras. Document this moment. Join us as
together we make history.”
President Obama has called for repeal
of the policy that bans gay troops from revealing their sexual
orientation. Both chambers of Congress have introduced legislation
that would repeal the 1993 law.
Opponents of repeal say the law is needed to keep
good order and discipline among the ranks. A near universal majority
of Americans say the policy is discriminatory and a majority say it
should be scrapped.
The crowd, estimated in the hundreds,
applauded the men as they were hauled away.