Former Army Lt. Dan Choi on Tuesday
delivered emotional testimony during his trial over protesting “Don't
Ask, Don't Tell,” the policy set to expire on September 20 that
bans gay and bisexual troops from serving openly.
Choi was discharged under the policy
for revealing his sexuality during an interview with MSNBC's Rachel
Maddow.
He went on to become a vocal opponent
of the policy, appearing on television, at speaking engagements and
during rallies.
The U.S. Park Police on November 15,
2010 arrested 12 gay rights activists, including Choi and Army Capt.
James Pietrangelo, after they chained themselves to the White House
fence in protest of the policy.
Pietrangelo testified for more than 2
hours on Tuesday, and Choi took the stand for nearly 3 hours, gay
weekly Metro Weekly reported.
At times Choi became emotional as he
compared the various protests against “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” to
the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s. He added that he was
“insulted” by his prosecution on federal charges.
Staying true to his theme of civil
disobedience, Choi said of his March 2010 arrest protesting the
policy: “I believe it was a transformative moment when people
realized that a complacent, comfortable approach, or attending fancy
dinners in suits was no longer acceptable.”