It’s “Knights Out” for Lt. Dan Choi

Yesterday, the Federal Recognition Board of the National Guard ruled to discharge First Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate who served in Iraq with the New York National Guard, for violating the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy.

After Choi cam out on public television in March of this year, he received a notice of dismissal from the Army in May.

The panel’s ruling still has to be approved by General Craig McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, before it’s official.

Choi, who was an infantry platoon leader, submitted a petition of support with 162,741 signatures to the board during the hearing as part of his defense. In his statements to the panel, he spoke about “Army values of integrity.”

According to one of his post on the website for Knights Out, an organization Choi founded for OUT LGBT West Point Alumni:

“I also said I am gay. I refused to lie, and told them I refuse to stay silent, particularly since the soldiers in my unit respect honesty above personal gain.”

Regardless of what many are saying, the White House is working towards resolving this issue.  Also earlier today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters the Pentagon is searching for ways to make “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” less rigid while President Obama’s administration works to repeal the law.  Gates said:

“What we have is a law, not a policy or regulation. And as I discovered when I got into it, it is a very prescriptive law. It doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination or a lot of flexibility. So one of the things we are looking at is, Is there flexibility in how we apply this law?”

He added:

There has to be “at least a more humane way to comply with the law until the law gets changed.”

In regards to repealing the law, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has stated:

“The only durable way to do that is to go through Congress and that’s what the President intends to do.”

During a White House reception attended by many LGBT leaders held on Monday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots President Obama stated:

“As I said before — I’ll say it again — I believe “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” doesn’t contribute to our national security. In fact, I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our national security.”