Dan Choi

Dan Choi is a former member of the United States Army, who was released from the Army for violating the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Choi, who came out as gay in 2009 on The Rachel Maddow Show, was released shortly after his appearance on the show.

A graduate of West Point and former Army National Guard first lieutenant, Choi was arrested numerous times in his activist career for protests in favor of the gay community. In 2009, Choi was arrested in Las Vegas while protesting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. His cause not only made headlines across the country, but it led the the pro-gay Log Cabin Republicans to challenge the policy’s constitutionality.

Choi’s efforts in fighting against discrimination of the gay community led the government to disband the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law in 2011.