Former Army Lt. Dan Choi's DADT protest
trial was put on hold by a federal judge on Wednesday. A move his
lawyers claim is an effective win.
Choi is on trial for handcuffing
himself to the White House fence in protest of “Don't Ask, Don't
Tell,” the policy set to expire in 20 days that bans gay and
bisexual troops from serving openly.
The West Point graduate 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. It was not the first time the men
had participated in such a protest.
On Tuesday, Choi took the stand,
testifying for nearly 3 hours. Choi said he felt the protest served
as a wake up call for America: “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.”
The following day, Magistrate Judge
John M. Facciola said he believes Choi has shown that his right to
speak out is being treated differently because he's protesting “Don't
Ask, Don't Tell,” and Facciola put the trial on hold for 10 days,
the AP reported.
Attorneys for Choi said the judge's
preliminary comments meant their client has “effectively won the
case.”