Activists Protesting Dont Ask, Dont Tell arrested after protest outside Whitehouse

Covering the rally, protest, arrest and news surrounding via TOWLEROAD/TWITTER/MSM.

On Thursday, March 18th the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT rights lobby in the nation held a press event and rally in support of its work to repeal the 1993 law banning Gays and Lesbians from serving in the military. Featuring comedian Kathy Griffin as a lobbyist working with HRC to repeal the law.

In the run up to the event, Robin McGehe, Fresno, CA resident, an activist leader and organizer of the National Equality March, an LGBT rights rally held at the capitol in October of 2009, asked HRC President Joe Solomnese to allow Lt. Dan Choi to address the crowd. Choi was reportedly rebuffed. Choi is a west point grad, and Iraq war veteran, who is being processed for discharge from the military under the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy after coming out publicly on Rachel Maddow's show last year and has received a lot of attention for his vocal opposition to the Dont Ask Dont Tell policy. Choi took the podium after being rebuffed at the press event and together with Griffin encouraged the crowd to leave their staging ground at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC, to march with him the four blocks to the White House.

HRC Reports that over one thousand people attended the rally.

Once arriving at the white house Choi was joined by already discharged Army Captain Jim Pietrangelo and together they chained themselves to the White House fence. "Until we have full equality" the crowd says Choi said over and over, outside White House as he and Pietrangelo with assistance from McGeehe handcuffed themselves to the black iron fence outside the grounds of the White House.

Shortly after the Secret Service arrived and ordered the crowd to the other side of the street and taped off the area. Approximately seven agents were on scene in side the area secured by the Secret Service and several minutes later they removed the cuffs and ushered Choi and Peitrangelo into a van arresting them. Also arrested was Robin McGehee, although the details as to her arrest are a bit fuzzier to me.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about the action in an outdoor press conference later that day. Gibbs was asked if the white house planned on meeting with Get Equal on the Don't Ask Don't Tell issue. Gibbs said, there was no meeting on the books, and that the White House had no advance knowledge of the event.

McGehee was released six hours later after paying a $35 fine. Choi and Peitrangelo remained incarcerated overnight, and arraigned the next day. Both plead 'not guilty' to charges of chaining themselves to government property and are due in court April 26th.

After his release Choi spoke alongside Peitrangelo about the sentiment of being incarcerated. "There was no freer moment than being in that prison. It was freeing for me, and I thought of all of the other people that were still trapped - that were still handcuffed and fettered in their hearts. And we might have been caged up physically, but the message was very clear to all of the people who think that equality can be purchased with a donation, or with a cocktail party, or with tokens, that are serving in a public role. We are worth more than tokens. We have absolute value. And when the person who is oppressed by his own country wants to find out how to get that dignity back - being chained up and being arrested - that's how you get your dignity conferred back upon you. And so I think that by actions, my call is to every leader - not just talking gay leaders - I'm talking any leader who believes in America, and the promises of America can be manifest. We're gonna do it again. And we're going to keep doing it until the promises are manifest. And we will not stop. This is a very clear message to President Obama and any other leader who supposes to talk for the American promise and the American people. We will not go away."

Given the loudly broadening divide between the major players in the LGBT rights movement such as HRC and the activists groups like Get Equal the media is the approach in their action. The people seem more restless after the events in the last election cycles with losses in Maine and California among others, and groups like Get Equal are leveraging this unrest and turning it into political action hoping to pressure legislators and executives into action. While HRC is feeling the backlash by the public and the highjacking of their events. Groups have sprung up on Facebook declaring HRC unrepresentative, because of their tactics, and what many people are beginning to feel are exclusionary politics. Such as the divide over ENDA (the employment non discrimination act) that HRC at one point supported without a clause that would protect transgender people; an issue which enraged the trans community and gay activists.

The question that interests me is how does this arrest will affect Lt. Dan Choi's ability to serve. Could the military discharge him citing other policies due to this arrest? Will it all have been in vain if his goal is to serve openly? I'm sure Dan has thought this over closely and considered these ramifications, yet the question has not been brought up in the media.

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http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=7338666
Fresno ABC Local Affiliate KFSN

http://joybehar.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/18/kathy-griffin-on-dont-ask-dont-tell/
Kathy Griffin on Joy Behar After the event. Via CNN/HLN Joy Behar's Show.

http://www.towleroad.com/2010/03/watch-lt-dan-choi-speaks-following-court-hearin...
Choi speaking after arraignment the day after the White house Action.

http://www.towleroad.com/2010/03/cbs-news-notes-divide-between-activists-gay-org...
Watch Dan Choi address crowd at HRC rally in Freedom Plaza

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000740-503544.html
CBS news on LGBT divide in political action