Dan Choi Enters Politics

Dan Choi, who has largely dropped out of the public eye since the repeal of DADT and his high-profile trial for chaining himself to the White House fence, is entering San Francisco politics. From the bio page of his campaign site:

The injustice of the “Don't Ask, Don’t Tell” policy prompted Dan to take a leading role in protests against the law. Dan soon became the face of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal movement, and an LGBT rights activist. Dan organized and led marches and protests and engaged in a rigorous speaking tour, which included numerous television interviews and lectures at colleges throughout the nation in which he called for the immediate repeal of DADT. Once a court injunction was issued that effectively ended DADT, Dan immediately went to a recruiting station to reenlist in the Army.

Now, Dan has decided to channel his energies towards revitalizing the City College of San Francisco. As a dedicated student throughout his schooling, he has a passion for learning and education. Dan wants to see that all CCSF students have access to an enriching education as to provide them with the tools they need to achieve their goals both inside and outside of the classroom. Aware of the structural and economic issues facing the CCSF educational system, Dan is driven to be a part of the solution.

Choi was discharged from the Army shortly after serving as the grand marshal in San Francisco Pride 2009. DADT was repealed in 2011.

American Prospect Profiles Dan Choi

American Prospect senior editor Gabriel Arana has published a lengthy profile on Dan Choi, who has largely dropped out of the public eye since the repeal of DADT and his high-profile trial for chaining himself to the White House fence.  An excerpt:

By the time “don’t ask, don’t tell” was abolished, Dan had been interviewed scores of times, appearing in all the major newspapers and news networks (save Fox); spoken at dozens of gay-rights rallies from Wichita to Moscow; lectured at universities from Texas A&M to Harvard; and been named a “brave thinker” by The Atlantic. Now, Dan wakes up most days with nothing to do. After the sun rouses him from his spot on the couch, where he sleeps under his “affirmation quilt”—fan letters are printed on each square—he takes two capsules of Hydroxycut, a diet pill loaded with caffeine, and Wellbutrin, an antidepressant used to treat bipolar disorder. Sometimes he goes for a long bike ride or works out at the gym in his building. He attends fundraisers and art openings, occasionally in uniform. Now and then, he drives to Fire Island, a gay vacation destination off Long Island. He earns a living by giving speeches at $10,000 a pop, which the Gotham Artists agency arranges for him. He smokes pot—a lot of it, he admits. “I can’t tell the difference,” he says, “between being high and not.”

Read the full article.

Dan Choi Found Guilty, Fined $100

Yesterday Dan Choi was found guilty at his trial for a 2010 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" protest outside the White House where he was arrested with a dozen other protesters for refusing police orders to leave the area. Choi was fined a symbolic $100.  The Washington Post reports:

The guilty finding against Daniel Choi came as the West Point graduate tried to turn the usually staid courtroom of the District’s federal court into a lively venue for protesting his prosecution for his role in the November 2010 demonstration. In court on Thursday, Choi’s erratic demeanor swung from emotional outbursts at the lectern to belligerent confrontations with a U.S. Park Police officer and the federal prosecutor. Dressed in a military uniform, Choi paced the courtroom, serving as his own lawyer. “All I want at the end of this day is to return to the U.S. military,” Choi said through tears. Choi, who is not trained as an attorney, alternated between whispered apologies for his teary breakdowns and loud rebukes of Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela George for failing to refer to him as a lieutenant.

The twelve others arrested plead guilty at the time and received deferred sentences. Choi, however, had refused to do the same.  Another source reports that Choi was transported to a VA hospital after the trial. He faces jail time if he refuses to pay the fine.

Dan Choi's DADT Trial Is This Week

Via press release:

On March 28, Lt. Choi will defend himself in a rare criminal trial at the federal level for peaceful protest. The charges are "failure to obey a lawful order" by the US Park Police for protesting in front of the White House -- a zone famous for free speech, assembly and petition for redress of grievance. Lt. Choi fought overseas for our freedoms and is now being persecuted by the federal government for fighting for equal rights on American soil.

The prosecution demands the maximum punishment of 6 months in federal prison for an offense that normally amounts to a parking ticket. The trial has already made legal history in the arena of Criminal Procedure and the Writ of Mandamus: on the 3rd day of the trial in 2011, the Judge found a prima facie case of vindictive prosecution against the protestors and LGBT soldiers, the case was moved up to Federal Court through a Writ of Mandamus to prevent a lower court from deciding in Lt. Choi's favor.

Lt. Choi will be joined in court by friends, including London-based international human rights expert Peter Tatchell, who will be attending as a human rights observer. Tatchell said: "This looks like a petty, vindictive prosecution. Dan Choi was arrested for protesting peacefully against a homophobic military policy that is now repealed. He helped draw public attention to a grave injustice and contributed to it being ended. Dan is a human rights hero. It makes no sense to continue with his trial. This prosecution is morally wrong and a waste of taxpayers' dollars."

There is a ton of gay press already in DC and I'm sure we'll get some good coverage of Choi's trial.

Dan Choi May Represent Himself

Dan Choi has dismissed his lawyers and says he may represent himself in the case which he hopes will wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Choi was arrested in late 2010 for handcuffing himself to the White House fence, an action he says is protected by the First Amendment. Lou Chibarro reports at Washington Blade:

“I think for activists, especially for people who protest at the public square, there’s no more powerful thing and there’s no greater empowering moment than to stand before the judge and let them hear your own voice,” Choi said. He said he’s weighing whether to appeal his own case to the Supreme Court to challenge a procedural ruling preventing him from arguing at trial that he was targeted for “vindictive” or “selective” prosecution. If the Supreme Court were to refuse to take his case or if he forgoes that appeal, his trial, which began in August 2011, would resume in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The other activists arrested with Choi all agreed to plead guilty and were freed without jail time.

Dan Choi Banned From Manning Hearing

After an altercation with military police, Dan Choi has been banned from attending the hearing of accused Wikileaks figure Bradley Manning.

"They said I was heckling. I definitely was not heckling," Choi said in a telephone interview Monday morning. "They used six MPs to pin me down to the ground. They handcuffed me. I still can’t feel my right hand. They were so rough they ripped my rank off, the epaulets." Choi attended the last two days of Manning's preliminary hearing at Ft. Meade, wearing his full dress uniform, but he never made it into the courtroom on Monday. Choi said that when he drove to the base Monday, accompanied by Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, they were held at the gate for about ten minutes. "They said, well, 'It's because you're wearing the uniform,'" Choi said. "I said, 'I'm allowed to wear the uniform. I have an honorable discharge.'…It's the first time I've had an issue with this from anybody."

Trial Setback For Dan Choi

Via Washington Post, a setback for Dan Choi's at his trial for chaining himself to the White House fence.

The chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington ruled Tuesday that a judge overseeing Dan Choi’s trial cannot take into account whether prosecutors were treating Choi’s November 2010 protest differently because its subject was “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Choi’s lawyer had previously argued that his client was being treated more harshly, and Magistrate Judge John Facciola said that appeared to be the case.But Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth wrote in an opinion Tuesday that Choi’s attorney should have raised the issue of harsher treatment before trial and he cannot now use it as a defense.

Unlike the others arrested that day, Choi alone refused a plea bargain and insisted on a trial. Choi has since been re-arrested at the same scene while protesting another issue.

Dan Choi To Re-Enlist

Dan Choi says he's going to re-enlist. You may recall he attempted to do so last year.

More than two years after former infantry officer Daniel Choi came out on a talk show as a gay service member – an event that led to his discharge - the Iraq war veteran says he will re-enlist in the U.S. Army following Tuesday’s repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. “Going back to the military will be a vindication,” Choi told POLITICO. [I’m] going back because I fought to go back. The seriousness of our claims was not just political theatre – it was really drawn from our lives. I sacrificed so much so I could go back.” [snip] Choi said that he had been unsure about whether he should reenlist but eventually concluded that it was important to show the seriousness of his actions. “Joining the military is never supposed to be a comfortable thing,” Choi said.

Not discussed in the above-linked Politico article is whether Choi's arrests will impede his return to active duty.

Dan Choi's Trial Suspended

In November noted DADT activist Dan Choi was arrested with a dozen others after failing to comply with a police order to unshackle themselves from the White House fence. All of those arrested accepted a plea bargain agreement with sentences of six months probation. But not Choi, whose trial on the charge began this week. Yesterday the trial's judge suspended the proceedings after the federal government was accused of malicious prosecution. According to his lawyer, Choi was arrested because of the subject of his protest, not his actions.

Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola said the testimony presented at trial suggested that "the nature of his speech or what he said," meant Choi was prosecuted differently, according to a transcript of the proceedings. As a result of Facciola's statements, an attorney for the government, Angela George, said she planned to have the judge's actions reviewed by higher authorities, and Facciola put the trial on hold for 10 days. In papers filed with the court, George says Choi was treated no differently than other similar protesters. One of Choi's attorneys, Robert Feldman, said he believed that the judge's comments Wednesday mean his client has "effectively won the case" and that the charges against him will ultimately be dismissed.

According to one report, the decision to arrest Choi was made before the protest even began. He's gonna win this thing.

Real Christians Love Oil Wells

Last week a group of "leftist" Christian environmentalists, including gay activist Dan Choi, were arrested outside the White House in a protest over a proposed massive oil pipeline from Canada to Texas. But according to a spokesman for the Alliance For The Stewardship Of Creation, those protesters aren't real Christians.

"They profess to believe the Bible," he points out. "Well, the Bible tells them that they're supposed to obey the governing authorities unless those governing authorities either require them to do what God forbids or forbids them to do what God requires -- and that has not happened. So they are actually disobeying scripture by doing this." Beisner believes the protesters are seeking media attention. "They oppose the provision of affordable, abundant, and reliable energy, and they do that frankly because they don't want human beings to prosper," he explains. "They want our economy to shrink because they think that our good, productive economy is harmful to the environment -- and on that they're just flat-out wrong."

TODAY: Dan Choi's Trial Begins

Along with a dozen other activists, Dan Choi was arrested last November after handcuffing himself to the White House fence in a DADT protest. Choi was the only one to reject a government offer of six months probation. His trial begins today.

Choi said he rejected the offer and requested a trial, where he said he intends to defend what he calls his First Amendment right to stage a peaceful protest in front of the White House for a “just” cause. According to Choi, who has emerged as a nationally recognized gay activist, the government offer created tension between him and some of the other protesters. He said prosecutors initially said the offer would only be extended if all 13 people arrested in the Nov. 15, 2010 White House protest accepted it. “The 12 that were arrested with me are my friends,” Choi told the Blade. “So this prosecution tactic tried to rip us apart.” In a last minute decision, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s office agreed at a court hearing in May to allow the other 12 arrestees to obtain the probation agreement even though Choi refused the offer.

Choi is charged with one federal count of failure to obey the lawful order of a police officer. Here's the video of the protest and arrest.

Lawrence O'Donnell On Netroots Nation

NETROOTS: Choi Rips Up Obama Flyer

Igor Volsky reports at Think Progress: "Lt. Dan Choi ripped up an Obama For America (OFA) flyer this afternoon during a panel at Netroots Nation when he was confronted by an Obama volunteer who attempted to explain away the President’s opposition to same-sex marriage."

NOTE: The Obama administration is prosecuting Choi for chaining himself to the White House fence during a DADT protest. Earlier this week Choi's trial date was set for late August.

UPDATE: Choi later said to Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson: “Sometimes love comes in harsh forms. I love my detractors enough to let them know when they are misguided and I only regret that we are both suffering under a second-class citizenship imposed by politicians who smile pleasantly while denying our fight for justice. The harshest treatment would be our acquiescence to the view that we do not deserve equality.”

Dan Choi's Trial Set For August

Yesterday a federal court set August 28th as the date that Dan Choi will be tried for DADT-related civil disobedience at the White House. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

Former Lt. Dan Choi was in federal court today, the lone individual still facing charges from any of the 2010 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" protests that took place at the White House. He also was in uniform, a reminder of the symbol for repeal that Choi and other active servicemembers became during the course of the 2010 debate over ending the 1993 policy and instead allowing out gay, lesbian and bisexual service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Sitting at the defense table in Courtroom 7 of the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse, Choi was silent throughout today's brief conference where U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay set an Aug. 29 trial date for Choi on federal charges of violating a federal regulation prohibiting "interfering with agency functions," specifically disobeying a lawful order of the National Park Service.

State Dept Condemns Moscow Arrests

The U.S. State Department has issued a letter condemning the arrests of gay activists in Moscow over the weekend.

STATEMENT BY MARK TONER, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON

Concern about Freedom of Assembly in Russia

We note with concern that in Moscow on Saturday, May 28, a peaceable demonstration of Russians advocating for the rights of gays and lesbians, joined by international supporters, was forcefully disrupted by counter-protesters, and that Russian security forces then detained people from both groups, including American citizens. Some protestors were seriously injured according to media reports.

Freedom of assembly is a fundamental right all members of the OSCE committed to, including in the Moscow declaration and as recently as the Astana summit. As nationwide legislative elections approach, constraints on the ability of Russian citizens peacefully to gather and express their views will be closely watched in evaluating the integrity of the electoral process. We call on Russian authorities to work with municipal officials to find better ways to safeguard these fundamental freedoms.

Dan Choi Shouts "GLASNOST!" As Moscow Police Arrest Him At Pride Protest

RUSSIA: Dan Choi Among Activists Arrested At Moscow Pride Protest

UK Gay News is running a live blog from the pride protest in Moscow. Here are the latest entries at this writing:

14:00. Andy Thayer is confirmed as having been arrested, along with Dan Choi and Louis-Georges Tin, Anna and three other Russian gay activists.

13:40. Report just in that four Russians participats in Pride have been arrested outside Moscow City Hall.

13:31. Dan Choi and Louis-Georges Tin both confirmed as having been arrested.

13:29. "All participants of Moscow Pride at Alexandrovski Gardens was been "brutally arrested", Chad Meacham has just reported. The arrest were made as participants arrived at the Gardens. One person, Louis-Geroges Tin was allowed to give an iterview with the world's TV and press. No names of those arrested are not known, apart from Anna.

Dan Choi On Bin Laden's Death

Starts at 7:40.

(Tipped by JMG reader Sean Chapin)

Oh Su-NAP!

Tweet Of The Day - Dan Choi