Whitt to Choi: I’m ready to serve again

By DMITRY RASHNITSOV

Lt. Dan Choi (left) and Fort Lauderdale resident, Petty Officer Larry Whitt (far right) were part of a group arrested at the White House. (Photo courtesy GetEQUAL)

American Veterans for Equal Rights Gold Coast Chapter member Petty Officer Larry Whitt stood in front of a District of Colombia judge on April 21 after his arrest for chaining himself to the White House the previous day.

“You are free to go,” the judge said to Whitt after he had paid his $100 fine for disobeying a lawful order.

“I didn’t accept what the judge said,” Whitt said. “I turned around and popped a salute to Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo and said ‘by your lead sir’. Dan saluted me back allowing me to pass. Even though the judge had let me go, I needed my superior officer to dismiss me.”

Whitt, Choi, Pietrangelo and three others had been arrested for chaining themselves to the fence of the White House in protest of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of discharging Armed Services members for being openly gay. In 2009 alone, 443 officers lost their job because of the policy. President Barack Obama has vowed to change the policy, but so far efforts in congress to repeal the law have remained stationary.

Whitt is part of a group known as GetEQUAL, who in the last few months have resorted to civil disobedience to get their message of equal rights for the GLBT community to the forefront of the national news scene.

Whitt said he spoke to Choi online several weeks ago after Choi was arrested for chaining himself to the White House the first time.

“I said to him, next time you do that, let me know and I will join you,” Whitt said. Whitt said he received a phone call from Choi about three weeks ago letting him know they were planning the demonstration. He immediately agreed to participate. Whitt said he did not tell anyone what he was planning on doing.

The night before, the group stayed at a hotel. They arrived at the White House just a little before noon with the cuffs already on underneath their service uniforms. They casually walked up to the fence and acted as if they were taking a photograph.

“At first when we were lined up, the cops couldn’t see what we were doing,” Whitt said. “It took them about 10 minutes to figure it out. We were completely silent at first, and then when the cops moved in, we put our sign up.”

Eventually the SWAT team was called in, and news crews were not allowed to get close to videotape what was going on.

“I’ve never been more proud in my life to take a stand for American service members that can’t take a stand for themselves,” said Whitt who had also never before been arrested in his life.

The group was hauled away to jail about one hour after the whole thing started. Whitt said the cops were not very pleasant with the group. He said his night in jail went through with no problems, but that First Class Petty Officer Autumn Sandeen, the only transgender member of the group, had to endure lots of derogatory comments throughout the night.

“If I was called to do it again, I would do it again in heartbeat,” Whitt said. “The main message we are trying to put out there is we are tired of waiting for this to be repealed.”

Whitt said the GetEQUAL is planning an even larger demonstration in front of the White House on May 2nd. He said that everyone is urged to come to DC that day and meet at Lafayette Park to get further instructions.

For more information about any future protests or the group, visit: http://getequal.org.