In Washington, DC, at least six people were arrested Tuesday in a protest against the ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers in the military. The protesters handcuffed themselves to the fence in front of the White House. The group included Lt. Dan Choi, an openly gay servicemember who’s faced discharge since publicly defying “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” last year. Choi was arrested in a similar action in front of the White House last month. The protest came one day after gay rights activists confronted President Obama as he addressed a fundraiser for California Senator Barbara Boxer in Los Angeles. The activists urged Obama to carry out his vow to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Obama responded by insisting he will eventually fulfill his pledge.

President Obama: “What the young man was talking about was we need to — we need to repeal 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,' which I agree with and which we have begun to do. But let me say this: You know, when you’ve got an ally like Barbara Boxer and you’ve got an ally like me, who are standing for the same thing, then you don’t know exactly why you’ve got to holler, because we already hear you. All right?”