21 Facts About Dan Choi

Dan Choi became an LGBT rights activist following his coming out on The Rachel Maddow Show in March 2009 and publicly challenged America's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which forbade lesbian, gay and bisexual service members from serving openly.

On October 19,2010, Choi applied to rejoin the US Army.

Dan Choi is a native of Tustin in Orange County, California, the son of a Korean-American Baptist minister.

Dan Choi graduated from Tustin High School then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Dan Choi was very active with extracurriculars during his high school years.

Dan Choi graduated from West Point in 2003 with degrees in Arabic and environmental engineering.

Dan Choi served as an infantry officer in Iraq with the 10th Mountain Division in 2006 and 2007.

Dan Choi served as an Army guardsman with the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, based in Manhattan.

Dan Choi received a discharge letter following his coming out on The Rachel Maddow Show.

Dan Choi is among 59 gay Arabic linguists, along with nine gay Farsi linguists, who have faced a discharge from the US military from 2004 through 2009, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Since Dan Choi's coming out, 38 West Point alumni came out and announced the formation of Knights Out, an organization of West Point alumni who support the rights of LGBT soldiers to serve openly.

Dan Choi was one of the founding members and is the spokesperson for the group.

On July 16,2009, Dan Choi was in Culver City, California, to introduce the premiere of Abe Forman-Greenwald's documentary called Silent Partners.

In February 2010 Dan Choi was selected to be a Grand Marshal of the 41st Annual New York LGBT Pride March by its producers, Heritage of Pride.

At the event, Dan Choi led the Pledge of Allegiance at the New York City Council Chambers.

In March 2013, Outright Libertarians announced that Dan Choi was joining the GLBTQ caucus of the Libertarian Party as an honorary board member.

In November, 2010, Dan Choi again handcuffed himself to the White House fence with 12 other protestors.

Dan Choi was arrested and charged in Federal court.

On March 28,2013, Dan Choi was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of "Failure to Obey Lawful Order" and fined $100.

That same day, Dan Choi went to the Times Square recruiting station in New York to rejoin the US Army ; his request is in process.

On May 28,2011, Dan Choi was among a number of both Russian and foreign activists who were arrested by Moscow police when Moscow Pride was held in spite of a ban by city authorities.