Lt. Dan Choi is one of 38 graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., who came out last year and announced the formation of a group called Knights Out, dedicated to helping West Point educate future Army leaders on honoring the sacrifices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) U.S. military personnel.
Lt. Choi has now received a letter informing him of his discharge from the U.S. Army for violating the military policy on "homosexual conduct." He will appear on The Rachel Maddow Show on Thursday, May 7, to discuss his situation.
Remember after the election last year, when the Obama Transition team announced that Pastor Rick Warren would give the invocation at the inauguration...? and remember the subsequent firestorm that erupted from LGBT people and our allies because of the Pastor's and his church's speeches/activities/policies in opposition to LGBT rights...?
President Obama responded by saying that everyone knew he was a "fierce advocate of equality" for lesbians and gay men (as if, it would seem, advocating for someone's rights gives one license to spit in their eye).
But since taking office, the President has not made advocacy for LGBT Americans a priority, even while he has been creating a veritable tidal wave of policy and spending proposals touching most every aspect of American life. A few weeks ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates admitted that he was in no rush even to conduct a review of DADT.
Meanwhile, while advocating for LGBT rights has not been a priority for President Obama, honorable LGBT Americans who are serving their country face life-changing enforcement of the idiotic policy that requires them to betray their own integrity or be honest and discharged.
Lt. Dan Choi and others need a fierce advocate right now.
They need an executive order, signed by President Barack Obama, putting an emergency halt to discharges from the U.S. military based on infractions of the Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell policy.
These LGBT service members are fierce defenders of the United States, and right now they need President Barack Obama to keep his promise to be a fierce advocate for LGBT rights.
Write the President today and ask him to sign an Executive Order putting an emergency halt to discharges from the military based on infractions of the Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell policy.
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500
or, for an electronic link,
http://www.whitehouse.gov/cont...
or, by telephone:
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121
Tune in to Rachel's show tonight to see what Dan Choi has to say. This administration has stated that it is committed to 
