Dan Choi, the gay Army National Guard Lieutenant arrested for chaining himself to the White House fence last week to protest President Barack Obama’s lack of leadership on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, tells Newsweek that he feels “betrayed” by the Human Rights Campaign over their relatively timid approach to getting a repeal included in the “must-pass” 2011 defense budget (timid, that is, compared to Choi’s and GetEQUAL’s handcuffs routine).

Within the gay community so many leaders want acceptance from polite society. I think there’s been a betrayal of what is down inside of us in order to achieve what looks popular, what look enviable. The movement seems to be centered around how to become an elite. There is a deep schism [in the gay-rights movement], everyone knows this. But this shouldn’t be about which group has better branding. There is a tremor right now in every gay and transgender youth that these groups are not grasping. I would say to them—you do not represent us if all you are looking for is a ladder in to elite society.

The HRC’s Backstory Blog defended Executive Director Joe Solmonese’s decision to keep last week’s rally from marching on the White House along with Choi:

Joe Solmonese along with Eric Alva and others felt it was important to stay and engage those at the rally in ways they can continue building the pressure needed for repeal. This does nothing to diminish the actions taken by Lt. Choi and others. This is the nature of social change and everyone has a role to play.

In other words, the HRC’s role is not to embarrass the Obama administration by a media incident where the head of a major national lobby group publicly calls the President to account at the head of a crowd of marchers. The HRC’s local affiliates are conducting a fairly public campaign organizing for a DADT repeal, which certainly will support any vote taken in Congress, but with the clock running out on a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, Choi is right in pointing out that efforts to repeal DADT need to be shifted into overdrive. As we saw with Sunday’s healthcare reform vote, it is very hard to get controversial legislation through Congress without strong support from the President – which the HRC is very well-positioned to demand.

Elsewhere…

North Carolina – Former Senator Jesse Helms’ estate is trying to rehabilitate his gay-bashing legacy. Joe.My.God has a choice quote from the late, not-very-lamented man. (The Advocate, Joe.My.God)

California – James Randi, newly-out nerd hero and arch-nemisis of Uri Geller. (BoingBoing)

D.C. – Barney Frank on tea party protesters who called him and his partner “fagots” on Sunday: “I haven’t got a lot of respect for these people, to be honest, so who cares what they say to me?” Still, he says, they’re setting a bad example for the kids. (Joe.My.God)

D.C. – LGBT groups at last week’s immigration reform rally. (HRC Backstory, Towleroad)