DADT Protesters Arrested at White House

DADT PROTEST WHITE HOUSE 02 X560 (SOURCE ELEVELD) | ADVOCATE.COM

In a second round of civil disobedience at the White House organized by the grassroots group GetEQUAL, six LGBT service members were arrested after handcuffing themselves to the perimeter fence Tuesday afternoon to protest “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The protesters included Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo II, who handcuffed themselves, in uniform, to the same fence last month. Pietrangelo was discharged from the military under the gay ban, while Choi's discharge is pending.

Shortly after 12 noon Eastern time, the six protesters unceremoniously approached the fence in uniform. Police officers did not realize the group had handcuffed themselves to the fence for several minutes. The stealth protest is in contrast to last month, when Choi led part of a separate Human Rights Campaign rally to the White House. He and Pietrangelo were then arrested for failure to obey a lawful order.

A U.S. Park Police spokesman told The Advocate that the six were arrested after three verbal warnings and were taken into custody. All have been charged with failure to obey a lawful order (the second such charge for Choi and Pietrangelo) and are currently being held at the police's Anacostia station. It is unclear if they will be detained overnight prior to a court hearing, as Choi and Pietrangelo were last month. (Continued on following page)

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Reader Comments

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Name: Penny Sautereau-Fife
Date posted: 4/28/2010 10:49:47 AM
Hometown: Silent Hill

Comment:
To Betty Boop; You Bet Your Sweet Bippie was from Laugh-In, not the Smothers Brothers. Just a little detail. Also; GO AUTUMN!!!
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Name: Autumn Sandeen
Date posted: 4/22/2010 7:03:24 AM
Hometown: San Diego

Comment:
Hey Patrick8, That wasn't millitary drag. I am a disabled, retired veteran, and the uniform I wore is my uniform, in many senses. My message was t folk like you--many trans people believe that LGBT community issues that are their issues, even though these are trans specific issues. I try to be the good neighbor to community, and see all in the LGBT community as my community siblings. And by the way, I'm a she. It's antitrans epithet to call a trans person a "he/she" -- same goes with "she-male" or "shim" -- as you used "h/she." Aactually, "he/she" is an epithet on the on par with the antigay f-word. I would like to think you used the term in ignorance instead of using it as an antitrans empithet.
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Name: Michael★
Date posted: 4/21/2010 11:27:21 PM
Hometown: Santa Monica

Comment:
win peoples hearts and their minds (and paper-work laws) will follow. This would be easier to overturn on equal employment discrimination laws.
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Name: Betty Boop
Date posted: 4/21/2010 10:43:58 PM
Hometown: Hollywood

Comment:
That's right troll, DADT repeal will get done in the Obama administration. To paraphrase the Smothers' brothers - you can bet your sweet bippie on it.
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Name: Me
Date posted: 4/21/2010 7:29:09 PM
Hometown: USA

Comment:
"... It'll get done under this administration ..." HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Boy! There's a sucker born every minute, isn't there. You know what. If you keep hoping long enough, everybody'll get a unicorn, too!!!
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Name: observer
Date posted: 4/21/2010 1:29:16 PM
Hometown: USA

Comment:
Calm down Ronnie, it'll get done under this administration, but big social changes never happen immediately. And Alex, it's not all American gays complaining about Obama, but mostly trolls like "bobby" who are fighting a "culture war" for the radical right.
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Name: Ronnie Mc
Date posted: 4/21/2010 10:50:54 AM
Hometown: Hawthorne,NJ

Comment:
Bobby.....Rosa Parks was breaking the law....didn't stop her.....Harriet Tubman was breaking the law....didn't stop her...MLK broke the law...didn't stop him.....The colonials where breaking the law....didn't stop them.....the list goes on and on...when the "law" is unconstitutional.....these laws NEED to be broken in order to get equality.....civil disobedience has and will always be the climax of rights movements...People always remember the ones who risk everything for the cause...everyone else is just a spectator and disappear with time..... A well rounded History lesson is all that is needed to know that....I really do not understand why nobody realizes that this is what NEEDS to be done....the time for peaceful and polite asking is over.....NO JUSTICE NO PEACE......EQUALITY NOW!!!!!!!!
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: Bobby
Date posted: 4/21/2010 10:33:24 AM
Hometown: Miami

Comment:
I hate defending Obama, specially since the media is always defending him and he has proven to be very thin skinned when it comes to criticism from the other side. BUT, the protesters violated the law, they protested wearing a military uniform and they chained themselves to a gate. Civil disobedience IS a crime. I wouldn't be surprised if the Obama-loving media decides to spin this story against gays, after all, outside of Fox News, Obama is untouchable. Anyone who reads Game Change will see how the lib media turned against HIllary Clinton and Bill Clinton for "negative" campaigning and racism while Obama's underlings were spewing hateful stuff about them. Frankly, I'm glad Obama is getting some heat from his own backers, about goddamm time.
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Name: customartist
Date posted: 4/21/2010 9:04:09 AM
Hometown: myrtle Beach

Comment:
Let’s ask Obama: Why was Lafayette Park Closed to the Media and the Public? What were the legitimate reasons? Was there a Bomb Threat or other “National Security” concerns? http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact Email CNN: Same Questions plus: Will the Media simply allow this type of Oppression via Censorship without legitimate justification in the US Government? Will the Media go along with this? http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form11b.html?2 Let’s ask Maddow too! What’s going on here??? Lafayette Park is looking like Tiananmen Square! without the tanks. If the Government doesn't like what you are saying - Squelch It! Right? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10285339/
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Name: Alex
Date posted: 4/21/2010 7:49:31 AM
Hometown: The Hague

Comment:
I don't get this. All you gay americans here bashing Obama because he is not living up to his promises. At least he did allready more then Bush in 8 years. You expect miracles. They don;t exist. Sure he can push through every gayfriendly law in 4 years time and then what happens ! Another 8 years of republicans who turn it all back. You should not target Obama ! You should target your fellow country men and the church. It is because of their backward opinions that he cannot do yet what he wants to do. Fight the catholics, figth the protestants fight the baptists, enlighten them change their opinion about being gay. That is the only way you can free the way for democrats to do what they have to do. Otherwise everything he wants to do will backfire. Religion is the evil in this world that is our enemy not Obama

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