Steve Who?: Daniel Choi

Showing posts with label Daniel Choi. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

DADT is History (video)

President Barack Obama signed into law legislation repealing the 17-year-old military policy that banned gay, lesbian and bisexual service members from disclosing their sexual orientation under penalty of discharge.

In his remarks leading up to the signing, the president spoke about the courageous gay Americans who shed their blood and gave their lives from the War for Independence to Iraq and Afghanistan. The president said, "We are not a nation that says 'don't ask, don't tell. We are a nation that says, 'out of many, we are one'."

President Obama addressed gay, lesbian and bisexual service members directly, warning them that this is not over yet. The change in policy still has to certified by Defense Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mullen, after consulting with the heads of the various military branches. He vowed to see to it the the process happens swiftly and carefully, saying, "We are not gonna be draggin' our feet to get this done."

Today LGB Americans are just a little more equal than we were yesterday, but there is so much more work to be done. Today's historic signing does nothing to protect or transexual service members. The trans community has stood by us in our struggles, even though we often leave them behind. Trans activist Autumn Sandeen, who stood by Dan Choi's side and was arrested with him at the White House fence, gives her take on today's events at Pam's House Blend.

President Obama to Sign DADT Repeal Today

Today is the day. At 9:15am this morning the president will sign legislation passed by both houses repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. C-SPAN3 will be airing the ceremony live in TV and via live streaming video. Click here to view on line.

Many of those who were on the front lines of the fight for repeal have been invited to attend the signing ceremony, including Lt. Dan Choi, who famously gave his West Point class ring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, saying he would only take it back after repeal was done. Choi will be joined by his friends from GetEqual, founder Robin McGehee and Autumn Sandeen who where arrested along with him during a protest where they and others chained themselves to the White House fence.

What is significant about McGehee's invitation to the event is that GetEqual has been the object of so much criticism and animosity from Gay Inc. and its followers, who said they were too naive, they didn't know how things work inside the Beltway and that acts of civil disobedience and direct action are a waste of time. Today, McGehee and the rest of her small but dedicated team have the satisfaction that comes with success.

Of course there will also be the line up of the usual luminaries from HRC, who despite how much they've pissed off our community with their black tie fundraisers, have to be given their props for leading this effort for so long. Perhaps this victory, which they cannot take full credit for, will signal a change in the way Joe Solmonese and Co. work with other LGBT organizations.

Also attending this mornings event are a who's who of the LGBT blogosphere and representatives from Servicemembers United, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, openly gay Congressman Barney Frank, Senator Kirstin Gillibrand, who redefines the term "gay friendly" and Congressman Patrick Murphy, who wrote the House version on the repeal bill.

Stay tuned for more news as it happens.

CNN and C-SPAN3 will be airing the signing ceremony live. You can watch the live video stream online at the C-SPAN3 site.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Dan Choi Hospitalized After Breakdown

Activist and Iraq War Veteran Lt. Dan Choi has checked himself into a VA hospital after what he describes as a mental and emotional breakdown triggered by last Thursday's crushing senate defeat of DADT repeal. The activist released an open letter explaining what he's been going through and why he felt the need to get some help. (Via Autumn Sandeen at Pam's House Blend):

"I did not initially want to publicize this but I now realize it is critical for our community to know several things: veterans gay or straight carry human burdens, Activists share similar burdens, no activist should be portrayed as super human, and the failures of government and national lobbying carry consequences far beyond the careers and reputations of corporate leaders, elected officials, High powered lobbyists, or political elites. They ruin lives. My breakdown was a result of a cumulative array of stressors but there is no doubt that the composite betrayals felt on Thursday, by elected leaders and gay organizations as well as many who have exploited my name for their marketing purposes have added to the result. I am certain my experience is not an isolated incident within the gay veteran community.

At the same time, those who have been closest to me know that I truly appreciate their gracious help and mentorship. I am indebted to their hospitality and leadership.

If you could share the info and sentiment I'd be most grateful."

Choi says he decided to disclose this latest development himself, rather than have some reporter uncover it, which might make it look as though he had something to hide. That's probably the best thing to do in a case like this. Usually when a public figure seeks help in this manner, they have a publicist handle it with a very short and sweet statement, that explains what's going on, but leaves out the details until the person in question feels well enough to return to public life. Obviously, Dan doesn't have a publicist.

Choi's letter illustrates the psychological toll taken on our queer service members and those activists who fight so hard in the uphill battle for justice.

What I find most interesting about this letter is that it reveals something about Choi that I've always suspected: the guy has an enormous, yet very fragile ego. Comparing himself to a superhero and describing the anti-equality folks and Gay Inc. as though they were super villains shows just how much pressure he has put on himself to carry the full burden of our fight for equal rights.

Having had a breakdown or two in my time, I can tell you that it's your body/mind's way of saying, "Stop! This isn't working!"

A mental and emotional breakdown is like when your computer crashes and you have to reboot. It's actually the healthiest thing your body can do for you when you're headed down the wrong path. I don't mean to say that Choi shouldn't be fighting the good fight. Even with his missteps, like his hunger strike earlier this year, Choi has done more for our movement than most individuals. But with everybody around him constantly telling him what a hero he is, he tried so hard to live up to that image, even though deep down he knew it wasn't true. His subconscious is now trying to help him get back to being "just Dan".

Choi obviously feels as though he's been pulled in too many different directions by too many people and that he's been exploited by organizations and activists who care more about self-promotion than they do about equality. He has become a symbol of our struggle and an idol to many of us. But the fact of the matter is that he's just a guy trying to make a difference. This breakdown is his body's way of reminding him of that.

Good luck, Dan. Get some rest and feel better soon.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Video: Dan Choi and GetEqual Activists Cap Off Day of Activsm with Arrest at White House Fence

A group of GetEqual protesters, led by Lt. Dan Choi, were arrested Monday after staging yet another DADT protest by chaining themselves to the fence in front of the White House. This was the third time Choi has been arrested for staging such a protest. The event capped off a day that included a visit to the grave site of Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, the first openly gay active duty service member to challenge the military ban on gays serving, and a visit to the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Metro Weekly reports:

''We have served our country valiantly to defend our freedom and justice, and now it is time for our leaders to do the same,'' Choi said.

Referring to President Barack Obama's inaction on DADT repeal, Choi said, ''There is a loud homophobia of those with platforms, and there is a silent homophobia of those who report to be our friends and do nothing.

''Loud homophobia and silent homophobia have the same result. They must be combated and this is what we plan to do today.''

Activists joining Choi at the fence were Michael Bedwell, Cadet Mara Boyd, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Justin Elzie, Catholic priest Fr. Geoff Farrow, U.S. Army Arab Linguist Ian Finkenbinder, Dan Fotou of GetEQUAL, Get Equal director Robin McGehee, Petty Officer Autumn Sandeen, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Miriam Ben-Shalom, U.S. Army veteran Rob Smith, Cpl. Evelyn Thomas and Scott Wooledge. Bedwell held a Time magazine cover of Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, whose grave Get Equal had visited early in the morning on Monday.

Video via the Huffington post:

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Dan Choi Re-Enlists! (Video)

Judge Virginia Phillips ruled this morning that she would not suspend her ruling to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Obama's Justice Department is expected to appeal Phillips' ruling, but for now and until the appeal is ruled on, DADT is dead.

In the wake of today's historic ruling, former Marine, Dan Choi, who was discharged earlier this year after fighting his discharge for over a year, re-enlisted. At 29, Choi is one year too old to return to the marines, but has begun the process of entering the Army.

Choi was swarmed by the press as he approached the Times Square recruiting center. The clip is a little long at 8 minutes, 44 seconds, but it's worth it to watch this historic event.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Why Did Dan Choi Sit on His Discharge News For 4 Weeks?

As I reported here on Wednesday, Lt. Dan Choi, the poster boy for DADT, was discharged from the Army National Guard on June 29th. Gay City News and DC's Metro Weekly first broke the story and verified with the Army that they attempted to contact Lt. Choi several times by phone and letter that he'd been booted out.

Now the gay blogosphere is all abuzz about this story that LezGetReal is claiming they broke.

So why is Choi pretending he didn't know? Why did he sit on the news for four weeks? Why did he continue to wear his uniform in public and represent himself as an active duty service member, when he knew it was a federal crime to do so? Inquiring minds deserve to know.

The image here is a copy of Choi's discharge memo, courtesy of LezGetReal. (Click on it to enlarge.) In the accompanying article, LGR's Paula Brooks reveals that she interviewed Choi via text message on July 8 -- the very day the Army says they notified him by phone of his discharge. Choi told Brooks, “I am paid by the Army and the Veterans Affairs (50% service disability)”.

WTF?

Along with thousands of others, I heard Dan Choi speak at the National Equality March last year and like millions more, I've seen him on countless news programs. My feeling every time I hear him is that Choi loves the spotlight and is more committed to extending his 15 minutes than he is to fighting for DADT repeal. The hubris and false bravado are, at times, nauseating to watch.

Lt. Choi first burst on to scene early last year when he outed himself on the Rachel Maddow Show. Last night he returned to the scene of the crime, fully armed with all the false modesty he could muster. Rachel does not ask Choi why he sat on this news for a month.

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Army National Guard Confirms Dan Choi's Discharge

Just 24 hours after Lt. Dan Choi, Robin McGehee and several other GetEQUAL members were arrested on the Vegas Strip for blocking traffic in a direct action aimed at getting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to take action on the passage of ENDA, Metro Weekly has confirmed that Lt. Dan Choi has been officially discharged from the New York Army National Guard.

Metro Weekly reports:
Lt. Col. Rich Goldenberg with the New York National Guard responded to an inquiry from Metro Weekly about the discharge, first reported in the Gay City News, by saying that a certified letter was sent to Choi detailing the honorable discharge and that ''Choi was informed on 29 June'' via a phone message left by his unit commander. Other calls were made to him as well, he said.

Goldenberg acknowledged, ''I do not believe he returned any of their calls,'' but added that ''[t]he New York National Guard made every attempt to make sure that Lt. Choi was fully informed of the action.''

Choi, earlier Wednesday afternoon, apparently responding to the Gay City News report, posted on Twitter, ''No, I have not seen any discharge papers. When/if they come, I'll show and tell.''

Well, Dan, we're waiting. It's a tough break, although we all knew this day was coming since Choi first came out on the Rachel Maddow Show early last year. Choi's bravery in fighting DADT for the last year and a half has been commendable, but avoiding the phone calls and not opening your mail doesn't make all of this go away. It's time to "man up", accept what's happened, give us your reaction statement and continue the fight. I'm sure Rachel has your chair ready.

Breaking: Lt. Can Choi is Officially Discharged

This just in via Queerty:

Lt. Dan Choi, a continuing ulcer for the Obama administration, will have time to become a professional activist. He's been officially kicked out of the military for telling the world he's A Gay.

Choi's National Guard unit notified him by mail and phone call that as of June 29 he was no longer an American soldier, capping a lengthy and very public battle with the Pentagon over its discriminatory policy. In the end, Choi engaged in a hunger strike, civil disobedience at the White House, and the administration's most upsetting role: public advocate.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Dan Choi tweet: "Government drops case against us."

Charges against Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. James Pietrangelo, who handcuffed themselves to the White House fence in March and again in April, have been dropped according to a tweet earlier today sent out by Choi. The pair were charged with failure to obey an officer, when they refused to pay attention to park police who said something like, "Hey, don't do that."

The Associated Press reports:

WASHINGTON — Prosecutors have dropped all charges against an openly gay Iraq War veteran who twice chained himself to a White House fence to protest the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Lt. Dan Choi and James Pietrangelo, a gay army captain honorably discharged for disclosing his sexual orientation, were in court Wednesday on charges of failure to obey police orders during the March and April protests. All charges were dropped against them.

Choi and his attorney had subpoenaed President Barack Obama to appear, but an attorney for the prosecution said the subpoena wasn't served. Prosecutor Christine Chang declined to comment on why the government dropped the case.

Choi said he believes Obama administration officials didn't want to draw attention to the policy while the issue is before congress.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Choi and Pietrangelo Subpoena Obama in Civil Trial

Ben Smith of Politico.com reports that Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo are resorting to an unusual defense in their civil misdemeanor trial stemming from their arrest for handcuffing themselves to the White House fence earlier this year in a protest against Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The two claim they were just following orders -- The President's orders. Choi, the former GetEqual poster boy, and Pietrangelo have subpoenaed the president to testify at their trial.

Choi and GetEqual parted company when Choi launched his hunger strike in the spring. GetEqual did not approve of the strike.

From Politico.com:

The gay soldiers arrested outside the White House protesting "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" will annouce today that they're demanding that President Obama testify in their trial on minor civil disobedience charges.

Their novel argument: Obama himself called on gay rights advocates to pressure him, so they were just following orders.

"Don't Ask" has energized gay rights activists frustrated with the White House's deliberate pace, even as Democratic leaders are frustrated with continued protests, as repeal is on track for next year.

The subpoena in the defense of Lieutenant Dan Choi and Captain James Pietrangelo’s

As the advisory puts it,

The subpoena seeks to compel the testimony of President Barack Obama who has, on several occasions as President and Commander in Chief (and previously as a Senator and Presidential Candidate) called on the LGBT community to "pressure" him to change the DADT law and policy, thus allowing gay service members to serve their country openly and honorably.

The subpoena of the President is necessary for the defense to prove that Defendants were following and obeying lawful orders or directives by their President and Commander in Chief, and were therefore under an obligation and authority to act as they did in order to pressure him - in a non-violent, visible way - on this important public issue. In addition, these statements support the contention that Defendants were acting out of necessity, in order to prevent discrimination and greater harm to gay service members now serving.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Choi and Pietrangelo End DADT Hunger Strike After Seven Days

In case you haven't noticed, and most people outside of the Queer Blogosphere haven't, Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. James Pietrangelo have been on a hunger strike for the last week, protesting the current Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal effort. The peckish protesters called and end to their fast late Wednesday night. The Advocate reports:

"The fast of the past seven days has been a success because people have been educated to the use of fasting as a tool to bring attention to a set of clear political and social demands," Choi said in a statement of the protest he began on May 27 with Capt. James Pietrangelo II, an army veteran who was discharged under DADT in 2004 (Choi, who serves in the National Guard, currently faces ongoing discharge proceedings under the policy). "Tonight, we will end the fast knowing that the inadequacies of the ‘compromise’ to end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ are well known," Choi said.

The Bilerico Project reported yesterday that even GetEqual had disavowed the hunger strike. Bilerico founder Bil Browning wrote:

The rumor mill has it that GetEqual activists demanded that Choi do his hunger strike outside of the org's umbrella and are none too pleased with his latest publicity stunt. Queerty reports that those helping him with the stunt have lawyered up in an attempt to avoid responsibility if something goes wrong.

Isn't there a word fro breaking a fast? Oh yeah, breakfast. I hope there was a Denny's close by. On the bright side, though, Dan and Jim should look killer in their Speedos on Fire Island this summer.

Monday, May 3, 2010

More LGBT Activists Arrested at White House Protest after Howard Dean Addresses Crowd

Activists from GetEqual and Queer Rising staged another "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" protest rally on Sunday in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House.

The rally was attended by dozens of LGBT activists, including Lt. Dan Choi, who has been arrested twice for handcuffing himself to the White House fence and Queer Rising's Justin Elzie, who was arrested on Valentine's Day for chaining himself to the railing outside the New York City Marriage Bureau while protesting discriminatory marriage laws. Elzie was discharged from the Marines in 1993 after coming out publicly on the ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings in the first public protest of DADT.

In a surprise move, former governor/DNC Chairman/presidential candidate Howard Dean showed up to address the crowd and lend his support for repeal of DADT. (Justin Elzie is the cute bear in the lavender shirt introducing Gov. Dean in the video clip.)

After Dean's impromptu speech, six protesters handcuffed themselves to the fence outside the White House. According to GetEqual's Facebook page, Mark Reed, Natasha Dillon, Alan Bounville, Nora Camp, Lana Dibona and Anne Tischer were held overnight and are expected to appear before a judge this morning.

The following video was filmed by John Aravosis of AmericaBlog.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Lt. Dan Choi, 5 Others Arrested at White House, Cops Shut Down Press Coverage (video)

Lt. Dan Choi and five others were arrested for chaining themselves to the White House fence on Tuesday in a protest organized by the LGBT rights group GetEqual.

It was the second time for Choi and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo. Others participating in the protest were Petty Officer Larry Whitt, Petty Officer Autumn Sandeen, Cadet Mara Boyd, and Cpl. Evelyn Thomas.

The protest came on the heels of a protest staged over the weekend where GetEqual members heckled President Obama at a fundraiser of Sen. Barbara Boxer.

GetEqual posted the following statement on their website:

"Our hopes swelled when President Obama promised to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT). But his words mean nothing without action. And he has an opportunity to take action right now, by placing repeal language in the Defense Authorization Bill (DAB), which provides funding for all military operations. But recent reports suggest that the Administration is trying to delay any law change until December or even later."

In a move that is reminiscent of the heavy-handed government reaction to anti-war protests during the 60's, Park police closed Lafayette Park, located directly across Pennsylvania Ave. from the White House fence where the incident took place and refused to allow reporters to use the park to film or report on the event. Is this president afraid of a little dissent?

Why would our government censor press coverage of a protest against a policy that the president has repeatedly promised to repeal? Maybe because as critics have said, Obama has no plans repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell this year as he promised.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Dan Choi Returns to the Scene of the Crime, The Rachel Maddow Show (video)

Lt Dan Choi made headlines last year for coming out on the Rachel Maddow Show and he's been making headlines ever since for his fight to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Last week Lt. Choi interrupted an HRC event in DC, then led a march to the White House, where he chained himself to the fence with another gay serviceman, Capt. Jim Pietrangelo.

Lt. Choi returned to to the scene of his crime last night, one year after his first visit. Choi and Maddow talked about Secretary Gates' announcement yesterday about supposed changes in the policy, specifically that that the military will no longer ask personnel whether they're gay, which they're not supposed to do anyway, under the 17-year-old policy.

The "new" guidelines are not the stop-loss we had hoped for, but are intended to execute the discriminatory policy "more humanely". Third parties who attempt to out gay and lesbian personnel will no longer be able to do it anonymously, but will be compelled to testify under oath. Investigations can only be launched by officers with a rank of one-star general or above.

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