Army Lt. Dan Choi will appear Monday in
DC Superior Court over White House arrest.
Choi, one of the most visible opponents
of “don't ask, don't tell,” and Capt. James E. Pietrangelo were
arrested by Park Police last month after the men handcuffed
themselves to the White House fence in protest of the policy which
bans gay and lesbian service members from revealing their sexual
orientation at the risk of being fired.
The men spent the night in jail and
were arraigned the following day. Both pleaded not guilty to a
charge of failure to obey an officer.
Choi, 29, was discharged from the Army
under the policy last year after he announced he was gay on MSNBC's
The Rachel Maddow Show. He
is currently appealing the Army's decision.
Pietrangelo, 44, of Sandusky, Ohio, was
discharged in 2004.
The protest was sponsored by the
nascent gay rights group GetEQUAL
led by lesbian activist Robin McGehee. The group is also behind last
week's “don't ask” action that interrupted President
Obama as he spoke at a fundraiser in California for fellow Democrat
Senator Barbara Boxer and a
House committee disruption urging movement on ENDA, an employment
gay protections bill stuck in the committee.
Last Tuesday, Choi,
Pietrangelo and four more gay veterans were arrested outside the
White House. The six activists handcuffed themselves to the gate
in protest of “don't ask” and were arrested by Park Police.