Photos, Video: Six Service Members Handcuff Themselves to White House Fence in 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Protest
UPDATED
Six military veterans, three women and three men including Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo have handcuffed themselves to the White House fence in a protest against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
Video of Choi speaking, AFTER THE JUMP...
GetEqual writes in a press release: "Moments ago, Lt. Dan Choi along with five other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) discharged veterans -- Capt. Jim Pietrangelo II, Petty Officer Larry Whitt, Petty Officer Autumn Sandeen, Cadet Mara Boyd, and Airman Victor Price -- handcuffed themselves to the White House gates to demand that President Obama keep his promise to repeal 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' this year. The vets are concerned about mounting signs that the President is wavering on his promise to push for repeal this year."
Said Choi: “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. 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.”
GetEQUAL has posted a page about the action currently taking place.
12:45 pm: The media has apparently been pushed way back and Lafayette Park has been closed.
1:00 pm: The service members have reportedly been removed from the fence, put in a paddy wagon, and arrested.
Video of Choi speaking, AFTER THE JUMP...
Questions are now being raised about censorship of the press in this instance (see video, AFTER THE JUMP).
Ben Smith at Politico: "Police chased reporters away from the White House and closed Lafayette Park today in response to a gay rights protest in which several service members in full uniform handcuffed themselves to the White House gate to protest 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' People who have covered the White House for years tell me that's an extremely unusual thing to do in an area that regularly features protests."
Why did the White House do this?
(images by john aravosis via rex wockner and twitter, video via americablog)
Choi speaks:
Media is moved from Lafayette Park:
The time has really come to call bullshit on the political dance between incrementalism or outright hostility. That's what the Democrats and the Republicans are offering us: the devil and the deep blue sea.
Act up, make a damn fuss, don't just take it on the chin anymore.
Posted by: yonkersconquers | Apr 20, 2010 12:23:27 PM
Oh good. More political theater.
Posted by: Mike | Apr 20, 2010 12:27:56 PM
Good work, ladies and gentlemen!!
Posted by: peterparker | Apr 20, 2010 12:34:07 PM
ROCK ON GetEQUAL! TIME TO SHOW SOME SPINE. I'm tired of the Obama boot licker brigade, the time for apologists is OVER.
WE DEMAND ACTION NOW!
Posted by: Wayne | Apr 20, 2010 12:39:02 PM
@MIKE: YES! More political theater.
What exactly do you think the TeaBaggers have been doing all summer? That little bit of political theater has scared the shit out of the Republican establishment.
ACT UP was all about political theater. They managed to get the nation to notice that thousands were dying.
Our soul is dying, if political theater can help us live free and equal, bring on the next act!
Posted by: Derek Washington | Apr 20, 2010 12:39:59 PM
This is going to accomplish nothing. Congress isn't going to move until they get the impact report back from the Pentagon.
Posted by: Rodney | Apr 20, 2010 12:47:14 PM
For a gay person to speak against this type of protest is sickening. It is also like those saying that Pres. Obama should not be heckled. What is it that is okay to do? I am all for what GetEqual is doing!! In fact I have joined them and plan to support them.
To those who do not, you are free to do so of course but you need to come up with your own plans then instead of just complaining.
Posted by: Rann | Apr 20, 2010 12:50:30 PM
"One of Height's sayings was, "If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time." She liked to quote 19th century abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who said that the three effective ways to fight for justice are to "agitate, agitate, agitate."
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/04/20/us/AP-US-Obit-Height.html?_r=1&hp
Posted by: busytimmy | Apr 20, 2010 12:50:52 PM
Haha! I love this! I wish these people all the best, because they are being SO fucking brave. It's easy to sit here and armchair quarterback for our rights, but these people are actually on the field playing!
Let's see, two tied to the fence last month, six this month... hopefully this continues and is increased by a factor of three every time! Soon, there won't be enough fence to go around!
Posted by: Alexander | Apr 20, 2010 1:05:20 PM
Thank you to the protesters. We are with you.
Posted by: JeffRob | Apr 20, 2010 1:13:23 PM
They are free to protest all they want. And the political theater may accomplish something. I for one think the comparison with the teabaggers is apt, but the teabaggers are also having an impact.
I just think this
http://veteranslobbyday.org/
will have more of an effect. I don't seem to have seen any mention of it on Towleroad.
Posted by: Charlie | Apr 20, 2010 1:21:28 PM
Bravo! President Obama needs to be pressured to add the DADT repeal language to the Defense Authorization Budget. We need to raise our voices, and I so applaud efforts like this when brave individuals are willing to put themselves at risk to make a statement about how heinous this current policy is.
Posted by: Jake | Apr 20, 2010 1:25:02 PM
The president was heckled in LA yesterday. He brought up a good point. The repeal needs votes in congress. Why aren't these protesters pressuring fence sitting and non-committal members of congress rather than protesting a president and senator who are on your side? There are two ladies in Maine who could use some lobbying, as well as a wobbly new vulnerable senator in Mass. Shouldn't these people feel the heat because they will be the ones voting on the repeal?
Posted by: Jane Roe | Apr 20, 2010 1:29:59 PM
@Jane Roe
Oh, there are activists that have been working on Cosmo, Collins, and Snowe.
The President does need to stop sending out mixed messages and Clintonian triangulation, though.
@Derek Washington
Is it simply me, or has there been a higher level of visibility by women, people of color, and the trans community since the direct actions by the LGBT community began?
Posted by: Chitown Kev | Apr 20, 2010 1:40:10 PM
@JANEROE: You are correct that our Representatives and Senators need the lobbying and that it will probably do more good, but that does NOT mean the pressure should be eased on our "fierce advocate". Our community needs to become more effective at walking AND chewing gum at the same time.
Posted by: HawaiiBill | Apr 20, 2010 1:45:54 PM
Bravo. Dan Choi is one of the smartest people I've ever met, and he, like many of us is sick of following Obama simply because he was a lot better than the Republicans. He is better, but he needs to show some leadership. He only got busy with healthcare after sitting on the sidelines nearly cost that issue. ACT UP, which one of the writers mentioned is a good analogy. There are a lot of people who are alive today because some brave people were willing to be carried out of the homophobic den of St. Patrick's Cathedral and put in a paddy wagon. The Obama worship of THRC is another tactic, but it's time to pressure Obama, because it's likely he won't even serve a second term the way things are going.
Posted by: LAXJFK | Apr 20, 2010 1:50:31 PM
Lt. Dan Choi is really bringing out the sticky rice in me! you go Dan!
Posted by: bading | Apr 20, 2010 1:51:09 PM
The pressure needs to be kept on the Dems to do more than sit back and survive mid-terms. This is how you do it. Attention, attention, and more attention.
Posted by: DR | Apr 20, 2010 1:59:29 PM
Dan Choi is our MLK. He is leading us to the promised land - equality.
God Bless Dan Choi. The end is near.
Posted by: David | Apr 20, 2010 2:04:19 PM
NOW all those votes against us in the US Senate will change. Thank-you Dan Choi for delivering the votes.
I predict our full equality by Christmas. If you want to help the Movement, handcuff your self to something. Do it now. This is how we win.
Posted by: Josh AZ | Apr 20, 2010 2:06:56 PM
God Bless Dan Choi. The end is near - Posted by: David
...Now there goes the Moron of the day award!
Posted by: New Jersey Girl | Apr 20, 2010 2:41:50 PM
Don't handcuff yourself to something that moves, though. That's not going to achieve much by way of equality.
Posted by: TANK | Apr 20, 2010 2:42:26 PM
@CHI: Since you ask, I will be glad to tell you something that Robin McGeHee and Kip Williams are too modest to say for themselves.
When the National Equality March was being planned, I was asked by Robin to be a part and I started in on the standard "why should I help, it's always a bunch of white guys in charge?" Robin told me that is was therefore my duty to do something about it and gave me introductions to some of the top LGBT activists in the country and from there, the NEM had what was probably the most diverse board in LGBT march / activism history. She and Kip backed me when I fought against supposed "leaders"( who shall remain nameless)who thought that MSNBC only wanted to see the same white male faces that they had been seeing since MILK.
Later, I was honored to join activists from all over the country at Robin & Kips' invitation. When I arrived I was thrilled to see people of color, white folks, lesbians, Transgender, youth, seniors, legends like Anne Northrup and top politicos. All equal and all being listened to and encouraged to throw out their ideas to the group.
Since then, I have been misty eyed at seeing my buds actually out there in the trenches. Most importantly, the TV cameras are seeing that todays grassroots actually look like that rainbow we are always on about.
I am really proud of these folks and rest assured there is so much more to come.
I know a lot of people say that we shouldn't be "fighting amongst ourselves". Simple fact, I'm no longer willing to be a field Negro 'cause somebody else got a job in the big house.
I work inside the system, however, because I am so vocal about my support of the Get Equal crew, the political types who normally only speak to the Gay Inc types are asking me what's up? They are always shocked when I tell them that so many of the things Gay Inc have been telling them aren't true (The Scientology accounting methods to estimate membership). These guys are getting information to the top tier because they included people like me and others who aren't getting arrested, yet, have the ear of some very powerful people. Because of them, I am now starting to train college students, Straight allies and LGBT in grassroots activism that doesn't rely on the Gay Inc model ( DONATE NOW!)and you can bet that the next generation of activists will be fully diverse. This past weekend we took seven diverse activists to Camp Wellstone training!
Sorry Andy to take up so much space. Btw,thanks for showing the world what Get Equal, Queer Rising and others are doing!
Posted by: Derek Washington | Apr 20, 2010 2:55:20 PM
As a gay military veteran who was discharged before "DON'T ASK / DON'T TELL" I salute EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. I would have joined them had I been there!
Salute and HOO-AH!
-Timothy Beauchamp
contributing writer - Gay AMERICAblog!
Posted by: cowboyneok | Apr 20, 2010 3:04:02 PM
I am thankful my congressman co-sponsored the repeal (part of the 190+ people)
However maybe sitins in the Democratic and even Republican congress members offices about this issue might be good. How about a sitin in Mary Bono's office in Palm Springs? Mary Bono is facing a tough congressional race and maybe this might pressure her to change her opinion.
Posted by: Matt from California | Apr 20, 2010 3:05:18 PM