‘A Message Needs to Be Sent’

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About 300 people converged on Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C., today to rally for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the policy prohibiting openly gay men and women from serving in the military.

Shortly after comedian Kathy Griffin spoke to the audience, cracking jokes throughout, Lt. Dan Choi, the Arabic linguist who was discharged last year after coming out on the Rachel Maddow Show, gave a more fiery speech, reminding Griffin and the assembled that DADT “is not a joke.”

“This is not a coincidence that we are here between the Capitol and the White House,” says Choi. “A message needs to be sent … join me in marching to the White House.”

It’s been reported that the Human Rights Campaign, the group that organized the rally, didn’t intend to have the crowd follow Choi. Nevertheless, about 100 people marched with him up 16th street and to the White House, where he and Capt. James Pietrangelo II chained themselves to the gate. Pietrangelo is a gay soldier who challenged DADT before the Supreme Court and lost.

Griffi and HRC President Joe Solomonese did not follow Choi and Pietrangelo, who were later cut from the White House gate and arrested.

HRC spokesperson Trevor Thomas released the following statement: “Joe Solmonese along with Eric Alva and others felt it was important to stay and engage those at the rally in ways they can continue building the pressure needed for repeal. This does nothing to diminish the actions taken by Lt. Choi and others. This is the nature of social change and everyone has a role to play.”

Griffin, with her My Life on the D-List film crew, signs an autograph for a disabled veteran before speaking at an anti-DADT rally today.

Griffin says that the HRC may want to distance itself from her since she stormed of this morning’s Senate hearing while calling Senator Saxby Chambliss “cuckoo-pants.”

Griffin, flanked by Lt. Choi, reads a letter from a gay soldier in Iraq thanking her for her support.

Lt. Choi calls on Congress to repeal DADT, “not next year, not tomorrow, but now!”

Rally attendees displayed patriotism as well as their support for DADT’s repeal.

Lt. Choi and Capt. Pietrangelo led a crowd of about 100 from the Freedom Plaza to the White House, all the while chanting, “Don’t ask, don’t tell has got to go.”

Lt. Choi and Capt. Pietrangelo chained themselves to the White House gate and were eventually arrested.

Robin McGehee, co-chair of GetEqual.org, a nonprofit dedicated to LGBT rights, was arrested for disorderly conduct after helping handcuff Choi and Peitrangelo to the White House gate. Here, through tears, she shouts, “I am somebody.”

Monique Allen and her husband, John Eric Dale, were in town from Tucson, Ariz., and happened upon the protest. Asked about the possibility of having gay service members, Allen says it “would be disturbing.” “Gays would want to join the Army to meet each other,” she adds, “and that’s not the right place.” Dale feels differently. “It’s a non-issue for me,” he says. “They should represent their country, not themselves. They should be American soldiers, not gay American soldiers.”

Police keep protesters from the White House after Lt. Choi and Capt. Pietrangelo are ushered into a police van.

Lisa Gillespie is a staff writer for Campus Progress. She is the interim editor-in-chief of Street Sense, a newspaper written and sold by the homeless. Christian Pittman is an intern at Campus Progress and a senior at Appalachian State University.