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[appending_doom]

Apparently, a protest starring Lt. Dan Choi and Kathy Griffin got out of hand when he led a group off to protest outside the White House.

Lt. Choi chained himself to the fence and was subsequently arrested.

See various updates hereI must admit, I get this guy's frustration. If I were working somewhere and was (legally) fired for being gay (as in

Comments

[lula_vampiro]

I sympathize with Lt. Choi and I think he's the man, but I'm not sure this is really lieutenant behavior. As a propagandist, I think he dropped the ball on this one. Yes, this is the Pentagon's problem more than it is Lt. Choi's, but I think he does a lot more good for the anti-DADT movement when he's not handcuffed to anything.

[appending_doom]

I get where you're coming from, lula, but I empathize a hell of a lot more with what must Choi's obvious frustration and, dare I say, anger and betrayal, than with your imprecation that he needs to be a "good boy".

I'm lucky that I don't believe my calling is to be a member of the military, because it means I don't have to hide, I can't be fired for what I am, but it still makes me angry to hear about these brave men and women who love their country and its military and are denied the opportunity to serve

sympathetic disagreement

[lula_vampiro]

I don't think Lt. Choi needs to be a good boy; I think Lt. Choi needs to be a good soldier.

If he were a civilian protesting DADT and he chained himself to the White House I'd say, right on. But anyone who hates DADT can do that. What makes Lt. Choi different, and he himself has stated this over and over in interviews, is that he is needed on the battlefield, which in fact is where he was slated to be with his own direct commander's sanction. Getting out there, interacting with foreign nationals in their native tongues, and saving lives in uniform, all the while having the hots for dudes-that is to say, defying DADT in what I consider to be the most direct method possible-is what Dan Choi does best. He's not fighting for the right to chain himself to the White House; he's fighting for the right to fight while gay, and last I checked he was, regardless of DADT, still a lieutenant, still servingLt. Choi does have to adhere to lieutenant behavior because he is fighting precisely for his right, and every other gay's in America, to behave