Lt. Dan Choi says he's disappointed
with President Barack Obama for fighting to keep “Don't Ask, Don't
Tell,” the 1993 law that bans gay and bisexual troops from serving
openly.
Choi, who was honorably discharged from
the Army for announcing more than a year ago on MSNBC's The Rachel
Maddow Show that he's gay, reenlisted
on Tuesday after the Pentagon agreed to abide by a federal court's
order prohibiting it from enforcing the ban.
The
Obama administration on Wednesday breathed new life into the ban when
it secured a temporary hold on the trial judge's order.
Choi reacted to the news on CNN's
American Morning.
“Yesterday, when President Obama,
after 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' has been dead for a week – no
enormous consequences. No people quitting the military because of
honest soldiers. And all of the sudden you see this president want
to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to discrimination and
injustice.”
Choi rejected the claim that the White
House is committed to repealing the law but is looking for Congress
to act.
“No they are not,” Choi said. “I
don't think they are committed at all.”
“I have a message for [White House
adviser] Valerie Jarrett and all those politicians in the White
House: You have lost my trust. And I am not going to vote for
Barack Obama after what he did yesterday.”
Over the past year, Choi has grabbed
headlines protesting the policy. He's
twice been arrested after handcuffing himself to the White House
fence. And was among a handful of protesters arrested for
blocking traffic on the Las Vegas strip with a large banner that
read: “REID NO ONE CAN DO MORE?” a reference to Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid.
Days later, at Netroots Nation, Reid
promised Choi he'd repeal the policy.