It’s because the police were literally chasing away camera-armed reporters from the scene. Notes Politico‘s Ben Smith: “People who have covered the White House for years tell me that’s an extremely unusual thing to do in an area that regularly features protests.”
So while this shouldn’t preclude the likes of MSNBC and CNN from covering the protest, it helps explain why they may not be enthusiastic to make a bigger story out of it — because they don’t have tape.
Court Passant
CBS News has tape. EDGE Networks is running it too via our embed player.
OLM
The word is spelled “dearth” not “dirth.”
Qjersey
@OLM:
I mean really, the editors of Queerty don’t even use spell check.
Cam
And why were the police doing this? The area around the White house is completely public. Just what was it about this incident that the White House didn’t want anybody to see? Oh wait, thats right, they didn’t want everybody to see the way this White House, treats heros who are asking to not be treated like second class citizens.
Dave
This event reminds me of the March on Selma (without the handcuffs). Dan Choi has a lot of courage. He is our MLK.
How many of us would risk our life and our freedom to get some equality? We needed a passionate gay celebrity to lead us. Thank-you Dan Choi you are a proud American.
Dave
History in the making. Dan Choi is forcing the President and the Congress to change their minds and vote repeal right away.
Expect the Congress to pass the Repeal within 72 hours. Thank-you Dan.
scott ny'er
i do think Dan Choi has big ones for doing stuff like this. Kudos, dude.
red phone
Dirth. I poop myself.
Joe
@Dave,
I really dont think something as simple as this will mean a repeal within 72 hours. Truthfully its nothing “simple” as I stated, but I’m just meaning its going to take a lot more than that. Plus, Congress will not vote on it as a single bill until after the Pentagon releases it’s report in December…however, if they throw it in with the Defense Authorization Bill, that may be different…But that still wont be within 72 hours. But it will create a buzz about it, hopefully, that will continue to get the ball in motion.
Philip
We shall overcome, we shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall overcome some day
The Lord will see us through, the Lord will see us through
The lord will see us through some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
The Lord will see us some day
We’re on to victory, we’re on to victory
We’re on to victory some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We’re on to victory some day
We’ll walk hand in hand, we’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We’ll walk hand in hand some day
We are not afraid, we are not afraid
We are not afraid today
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We are not afraid today
The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free
The truth shall make us free some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
The truth shall make us free some day
We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace
We shall live in peace some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
E shall live in peace some day
delurker again
@Dave: Yes, minus the actual 5 day 54 mile marching, minus the Bloody Sunday incident, minus the federalizing of the Alabama National Guard to protect 25k marchers, minus the terrorists stalking the marchers for the duration of the march. But other than that, this is exactly like that march.
And what handcuffs are you even talking about? The civil rights illiteracy of your typical queerty reader is staggering.
Baxter
@Dave: I like Choi myself, but don’t you think it’s a little early to be comparing him to MLK?
wondermann
MLK? Seriously? That’s a bit much
ossurworld
Does Dan Choi not have a dream?
edgyguy1426
They’re probably getting ready to arrest them and don’t want that part filmed.
Steve
From 1866 (the end of the civil war) until 1964, the white government did nothing for black people. Some politicians threw an occasional bone to black people to keep them in their place.
After the black people started flatly refusing to say “in their place”, the civil rights act was passed.
The straight government has continued to do nothing for gay people. A few politicians throw us an occasional bone, like the recent memo that Obama signed asking for one tiny little fraction of the rights that straight people get automatically when they get married.
The big thing that is really needed is a simple amendment to the civil rights act, adding “sexual orientation” to the list of things that are not valid reasons for discrimination.
It will happen only after gay people flatly refuse to stay in their place, at the back of the bus, behind the black people.
Dave
@delurker again: I think you are intentionally trying to hurt our movement. We finally get a leader we can follow and you want to suggest it’s nothing like the Black civil rights movement of 45 years ago? I think you’re on the wrong team.
If Dan Choi asked for a million people to be in DC next week, I bet 5 million would show up. Unless you are willing to risk your life and your freedom for the rest of us, I suggest you follow or get the hell out of the way.
Dave
@Steve: I agree, we need a scorched earth strategy. Like Dan Choi says “we must demand what we want and only then will they give it to us.” Don’t ask, demand.
We should be organizing candlelight vigils across the country to honor Dan Choi for his willingness to risk his life for our freedom. He is quickly becoming a national LGBT Hero. MLK would be so proud of his courage.
delurker again
@Dave: No that’s you hurting the movement by making false, nonsensical analogies. The march to Selma was an act of total courage, but it was not an act of civil disobedience. The marchers broke no laws. If you want to compare apples to apples, know your history!
Rham Emanuel-ish
The pressure has finally gotten to the President. He has decided to stop being our fierce advocate. He didn’t expect to get abused by the people h was trying to help.
The same thing happened when he was trying to pass Healthcare reform – all those people without healthcare kept interrupting his speeches and protesting at the White House. Plus, people who lost their homes because of sub-prime mortgages have constantly harassed him about regulating banks, they frequently handcuff themselves to bank entrances.
I think he just grown tired of helping those people that just attack him for trying. He needs a rest.
I would try your tactics on the Republicans.
Steve
@Rham Emanuel-ish: “The pressure has finally gotten to the President. He has decided to stop being our fierce advocate. He didn’t expect to get abused by the people h was trying to help. ”
Nonsense. Obama had absolutely no intention of being any kind of advocate for gay people. That was just a lie to get votes.
Now, the people who he lied to are beginning to demand that he and his party actually perform. That is a shock to them. They never expected us to actually require performance. They thought they could lie to us for another couple of decades, and get away with it.
As Obama tries to run toward the middle, the right-wing continues to run farther to the right, so the middle is now just about where the extreme right wing was, just a few years ago. That “strategy” is a winner for the right-wingers. They are getting almost everything they ever wanted, by a simple method of running away from each compromise that is offered.
At some point, the so-called moderates have to call the bluff, and start actually behaving as moderates. That is when the pendulum will begin to swing left again. Not before.
tofer david
fascism.
Rham Emanuel-ish
@Steve: He got the message from GetEqual – it’s not worth the bullshit. He doesn’t need the LGBT Community for re-election, so why bother?
@delurker again: I think you are trying to ruin this defining moment for our movement. Dan Choi is our MLK and you keep insulting him.
Kieran
How ironic to see the Gestapo patrolling the White House on Adolf Hitler’s birthday.
David Cornish
Gestapo? Is this a South Park episode?
GetEqual is a laughing stock. Stupid, childish stunts. Ugh.
WiseUp
Trying to control what the press can report IS fascism.
Kieran
This video should infuriate ALL AMERICANS for a number of reasons. But what is particularly infuriating is that this story is not HEADLINE news across the country. What does that tell you about the newsmedia and journalism in general?
What would have happened and how would the media have handled this story if it occurred during the Bush administration?
David Cornish
Thankfully, most of the media ignored this silly publicity stunt.
It’s just childish behavior based on the principle that “complaining gets rewarded.” It does not.
Cam
CNN was reporting on the fact that the press was kept away. The actions of the police made the story even bigger. Thank you Park Police. lol
Cam
No. 28 · David Cornish
Thankfully, most of the media ignored this silly publicity stunt.
It’s just childish behavior based on the principle that “complaining gets rewarded.” It does not.
___________________
Thats funny, lets take a look at your theory here.
1. The Mattachine society was polite and asked for gays to be treated better. Nothing changed….the Stone Wall rebellion happened and gay bars in NYC stopped getting raided and let to protective laws.
2. Gay organizations asked for approval on AIDS related drugs to be sped up….nothing happened. ACT-UP and Queer Nation responded by protests, vandalism etc… and the FDA cut years off of the approval time.
3. Barney Frank was saying that gays needed to be quiet and that the gay community was “Whiny” that no legislation was going to be done soon, to wait, and he refused to co-sponsor a bill introduced to repeal Don’t Ask don’t Tell…….gays started to boycott his fundraiser for the DNC, gays marched into DC. And now…Frank is pushing for ENDA and a DADT repeal sooner rather than later.
4. HRC and other organizations origionally were opposed to lawsuits to bring about gay marriage, saying that lobbying was the way. People sued anyway…we now have Marriage in several states.
So again, please tell me again how in your opinion the squeaky wheel never gets the grease? I love fairy tales.
David Cornish
@Cam: Your infatuation with GetEqual doesn’t present any evidence that these publicity stunts are effective. They are only designed to get publicity for a few misfits that have romanticized the idea of being an activist.
Thankfully very few people are paying them any attention – well, except to laugh or roll their eyes.
Cam
@No. 31 · David Cornish
Interesting how you ignore the post right above yours. You know, the one that shows where behavior like this gets results. You do realize that just by saying something it doesn’t make it true. I have provided you examples. Why not deal with them instead of covering your ears, closingyour eyes and sticking your tongue out?
David Cornish
@Cam: The “squeaky wheel” doesn’t always get greased; sometimes it gets replaced.
GetSqueaky needs to be replaced with some thoughtful ideas to garner support for our movement.
David Cornish
@Cam: GetSqueaky has forced Barney Frank to act? You are delusional.