Photo via NYTimes
Lt. Dan Choi, the Korean American who became the face of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal movement, re-enlisted in the military on Tuesday, this time as an openly gay man.
Choi, who was honorably discharged from the military after coming out, created a stir when he and Cpt. James Pietrangelo II were arrested for chaining themselves to the White House fence in a non-violent protest.
Although President Obama said that the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy would “end on [his] watch,” the public was unsure of when that would happen, considering the fact that the Department of Justice has actively fought efforts to overturn the policy.
Still, when California Judge Virginia Phillips ordered the Department of Defense to “immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation or other proceeding that may have commenced under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Act or its implementing regulations,” the Pentagon responded positively, by allowing recruiters to take openly gay or lesbian applicants.
via @ ltdanchoi
In turn, Choi responded by heading to Times Square to re-enlist, and tweeted, “In the recruiting station. Apparently I’m too old for the Marines! Just filled out the Army application.” Shortly after the tweet, Choi exited the recruitment station waving his enlistment papers.
But although he is employed now, he may not be employed for very long. The Obama administration filed an emergency request, asking the military to stop openly gay troops from serving, on Wednesday with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
According to CNN, although the administration is in favor of repealing “DADT,” it believes that changing it so suddenly “risks causing significant immediate harm to the military and its efforts to be prepared to implement an orderly repeal of the statute.”
As of now, the emergency request has not yet been granted, and the military is still accepting openly gay/lesbian applicants.
