![Obama-heckled%281%29](https://www.advocate.com/media-library/obama-heckled-281-29.jpg?id=32725132&width=1200&height=876)
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
A group of LGBT protesters disrupted and temporarily halted a speech President Barack Obama was delivering Monday night at a Los Angeles fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Several minutes after Obama took the stage, several activists from the group GetEQUAL began shouting and expressing anger about the slow pace of progress on repealing "don't ask, don't tell."
"What about 'don't ask, don't tell?'" yelled one protester, as the crowd tried to hush them.
"We are going to do that," Obama responded and kept talking, upping his volume, but the protesters persevered. The crowd finally erupted into chants of "Yes, we can," in order to silence the activists.
Obama reiterated, "We are going to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell.'"
Another protester yelled, "It's time for equality for all Americans!"
Obama responded, "Can I just say again, Barbara and I are supportive of repealing 'don't ask, don't tell.'" But the protester continued, grinding Obama's remarks to a halt and again prompting the crowd to shout, "Yes, we can!" over the protesters.
The action continued for a little over 10 minutes before the activists were escorted out of the reception by security officers and Obama regained control of the speech.
The protesters included David John Fleck, Dan Fotou, Laura Kanter, Zoe Nicholson, and Michelle Wright, according to press release from GetEQUAL.
"President Obama has been AWOL on DADT," Fotou said in a statement from the group. "We had to remind him of the promises he made to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community during his campaign and several times during his presidency - that DADT will be repealed because, as he's stated, 'It's the right thing to do.'"
"We made it clear our community will hold accountable our president for unkept promises," said Wright in the same statement. "Denying LGBT service members and personnel the ability to serve their country is unfair."
GetEQUAL also organized the protest last month when Lt. Dan Choi was arrested after handcuffing himself to the White House gates.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
21+ steamy photos of Scotland’s finest gay men in Elska Glasgow
February 01 2024 10:07 PM
More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms
May 12 2024 11:44 AM
Latest Stories
How the 2024 Paris Olympics could become a force to reverse climate change
July 25 2024 6:40 PM
Joe Biden and the lesson of never forgetting where you came from
July 25 2024 4:06 PM
Tom Daley goes down on all fours to test new Olympic beds
July 25 2024 2:58 PM
Kamala Harris make a cameo in RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 9 finale
July 25 2024 1:59 PM