Lt Choi and Jim Pietrangelo arrested at White House

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 2:45pm

Both Lt. Dan Choi and Jim Pietrangelo have been arrested after they handcuffed themselves to the White House gates on Thursday afternoon to protest "don't ask, don't tell."
More at the Advocate...

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 2:58pm

If ever there was an asinine media wh**e, it's Kathy Griffin.

What, she can't make a living in comedy or reality TV? So she pretends to be a gay rights advocate? She says she'll march to the White House, but then doesn't. She's really into the cause, yeah right.

[shameless]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 3:28pm

You might want to hear her side of events first. If he put her on the spot, she may have said yes without thinking it through. She may have even had a legitimate reason for not being able to march. She didn't have to get involved at all. Many gay celebrities aren't.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 3:30pm

I love Dan Choi.

Updated On: 3/18/10 at 03:30 PM

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 3:33pm

Me too. It was cool to see him as the Grand Marshall of SF PRIDE last year.

Posted: 3/18/10 at 3:38pm

I wonder if that's the first time he's been restrained like that?

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 3:39pm

Probably the first time in public.

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 3:50pm

Another person's take on the subject:


Kathy Griffin ruins don't ask don't tell maybe...

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:06pm

Kathy Griffin is pathetic and asinine. She needs to shut up and go away.

I love Dan Choi, though.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:07pm

Go start yer own goddamn thread about Griffin.

This is Biff's thread and it's about LT. DAN CHOI.

Stop being so annoying.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:09pm

When did Kathy Griffin become the point of this thread?

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:12pm

Reg: They went to handcuff themselves to the White House fence after the HRC and Kathy Griffin wouldn't let Choi speak at their little celeb-photo-op masquerading as a protest.

So Choi and Pietrangelo went and did something with actual meaning.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:14pm

What, she can't make a living in comedy or reality TV?

Huh? Yeah, she's obviously on the verge of bankruptcy.

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:17pm

I thought what Choi did was cool, what Griffin did was not cool.
Sorry if mentioning that offends you. I'm done with this thread.

[shameless]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:40pm

Ok, enough about Griffin.

Does anyone know if his arrest will have any effect on his career in the military, assuming that DADT is repealed or he isn't discharged under it?

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:44pm

Kathy Griffin has a new show? Is it a reality show or more a scripted thing? I saw her on some talk show the other night and was surprised how political she was.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 4:52pm

It was not Griffin who disallowed Dan Choi to speak.

It was the bumbling stupid Human Rights Campaign.

The villain of this event should be outmoded, ineffectual, do-nothing gay "rights" organization, not a reality-TV shows host.

And the hero should be LT. Dan Choi.

Posted: 3/18/10 at 5:00pm

She was God-awful on Law & Order the other night. Is playing a lesbian activist on that why she's all het up (pardon the expression) about this all of a sudden?

I don't care for her a bit but I could see her hosting a talk show like that Chelsea Handler.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 5:09pm

According to John Aravosis, who was there, Joe Solmonese of HRC told Dan Choi he couldn't speak.

Then Dan got Kathy Griffin to invite him on stage.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 5:21pm

Griffin's Tweet on the events:

Posted: 3/18/10 at 6:20pm

PALJOEY STOP TALKING ABOUT KATHY GRIFFIN!


PALJOEY HAS ALREADY RULED THIS ISN'T ABOUT HER!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 6:33pm

Are we allowed to deem Choi a hero? I mean Roscoe hasn't posted his official verdict and going by his demands, Choi prob didn't do quite enough to prove himself. Griffin surely hasn't even though she's been standing up for gays and marching for gays for years. But's it's prob all just an act for both of them. I won't know until Roscoe says.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 10:54pm

Don't get Roscoe started on the Human Rights Campaign

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/18/10 at 11:35pm

Distrubing update from AmericaBlog:

==

UPDATE: Dan's representative just called the DC Central Cellblock, where Dan and James are being held. I'm told it's a nasty place. They report that they're not giving Dan a phone call. So he doesn't get bail. He's reportedly going to see a judge tomorrow. Something is going on.

UPDATE: We have more information. This is increasingly disturbing. It increasingly looks as though someone has decided to play hardball with Dan and James. The Park Police say that Dan is not being released on bail. Dan also has not made his phone call to the person designed to pay his bail - the person's phone number is written on Dan's arm, so there's no chance he doesn't have it. That means that Dan apparently is not being permitted a phone call, and thus not being permitted to have anyone pay his bail. Why not? We have just learned that Dan is in fact being charged with "failure to obey a lawful order," yet that charge usually means you get processed, you pay bail, and you leave. Then why are they not letting Dan Choi leave, but instead are holding him to be arraigned? Why are they apparently not permitting Dan his phone call?

As you know, Lt. Dan Choi got arrested today at the White House along with Capt. James Pietrangelo. Both men handcuffed themselves to the White House gates in protest of the President's "ambivalence" over repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. The odd thing is that Dan appears to be missing. Kerry Eleved at the Advocate reported that the Park Police said Dan was being held in Anacostia. A friend called the MPD station in Anacostia, and they told him that they weren't holding anyone. The Park Police also reported that Dan was being held overnight, which, according to an MPD source, is unusual if in fact Dan is being charged with "failure to obey a lawful order," as it's being reported, usually you'd be released on bail immediately. So why are Dan and James being held overnight? And why can't anyone even find out where they're being held?
Where is Lt. Dan Choi?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/19/10 at 12:03am

That is really disturbing and hopefully means this will get more publicity. Not sure if Rachel Maddow mentioned anything on her show tonight (didn't watch).