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Knights Out Reacts To Arrest Of Lt. Dan Choi

03/18/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Sue Fulton of Knights Out issued a statement regarding the decision by Lt. Dan Choi to handcuff himself to the White House fence in protest of the slow progress over the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It appears that Lt. Choi was protesting the fact that President Barack Obama had not fulfilled his promise to do away with the law. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act is underway right now, and is being debated in Congress. It is likely that the bill will be attached to the Defense Budget in order to get it through.

Knights Out Founding Chair Becky Kanis, West Point ‘91:

“Lieutenant Dan Choi is a passionate, idealistic young man. I think Dan feels, more keenly than most, the clock running out on the military careers of gay and lesbian Soldiers. While we at Knights Out are heartened by the progress that’s being made on repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, we understand Dan’s impatience.”

Kanis is a former Captain and commanded two companies in Army Special Operations.

Founding Board Member Dan Manning, West Point ’04:

“I’ve known Dan Choi since we were at West Point together. He is one of the most dynamic people I know, and that’s why we insisted on getting him on the Knights Out Board when we started. Dan doesn’t do anything half-hearted – even when you don’t agree with him, you have to recognize his commitment to what he believes in.”

Manning, with Paul Morris, West Point ’80, originally put together the Founding Board for Knights Out in February, 2009.

Communications Director and Founding Board Member Sue Fulton, West Point ‘80: “We owe a huge debt to LT Dan Choi – there’s no way that Knights Out and the DADT-repeal movement would have made the progress we’ve made over the past year without Dan. We all wish him well.”

Fulton, a former Captain and company commander, graduated with West Point’s first class to admit women.

Lt. Choi is no longer associated with Knights Out due to time constraints. Because of his other commitments, Choi stepped down as spokesman, and Sue Fulton took over.

Lt. Choi’s actions are being questioned by some within the LGBT Community as being the wrong kind of statement to make at a time when the military is studying the repeal process and Congress is working on the bill.