Six gay and transgender veterans about an hour ago chained themselves to the gates of the White House to protest the Obama administration’s slow movement toward repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” They were arrested and have just been taken by police. Included among the six are Lt. Dan Choi, who has become the face of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal movement. It is his second time chaining himself to the White House gates. This is the second civil action in as many days by the newly-formed group, GetEQUAL, who last night staged a protest at Senator Barbara Boxer’s L.A. fundraiser, at which president Obama spoke.
Others who are chained are all discharged vets, including Pam’s House Blend writer, Petty Officer Autumn Sandeen, Capt. Jim Pietrangelo II, Petty Officer Larry Whitt, Cadet Mara Boyd, and Airman Victor Price.
UPDATE: Visit “Watch: Lt. Dan Choi, 5 Others, Chained To White House Gates, Protesting DADT” to watch a video of the civil action.
AMERICAblog Deputy Editor Joe Sudbay, via Twitter, accused the White House of trying to “obstruct coverage” of the protest.
Via GetEQUAL:
The vets are concerned about mounting signs that the President is wavering on his promise to push for repeal this year.
Today’s action comes one month after Choi and Pietrangelo were arrested for a similar DADT protest at the White House in which they handcuffed themselves to the gates for a period of an hour, while hundreds of protesters looked on.
“We are handcuffing ourselves to the White House gates once again to demand that President Obama show leadership on repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ If the President were serious about keeping his promise to repeal this year, he would put the repeal language in his Defense Authorization budget,†said Choi. “The President gave us an order at the Human Rights Campaign dinner to keep pressure on him and we will continue to return to the White House, in larger numbers, until the President keeps his promise to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ this year.â€
Amid growing signs that the White House is wavering on its commitment to repeal DADT this year, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) called on the President last month to publicly state his desire to repeal DADT this year. President Obama has refused to respond, prompting Frank to say last week that he is “disappointed†and “frustrated†with the Obama administration’s silence on DADT. “At this point the President’s refusal to call for repeal this year is a problem,†Frank added, saying that the President’s silence is now costing us votes in the Congress.
(H/T @LOrion)
(image: GetEQUAL)