On Wednesday, August 17, Firedoglake.com will hold a tele-news conference call with Lt. Dan Choi and his attorney Yetta Kurland to discuss his upcoming trial in DC federal court on August 29 for protesting Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in front of the White House last year.

FDL readers can sign up now to be on the August 17 call and ask questions of Dan and Yetta.

It’s time to rally for Lt. Dan Choi.

Jane was with Dan in June when Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela George announced that on August 29, the government will put him on trial for protesting Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell last November in front of the White House. To date, Dan has refused to accept the government’s plea deal.

This weekend, in front of half a million Dutch families and revelers, the Amsterdam Gay Pride parade showcased a truly historic statement: 85 gay (including 2 transgender) servicemembers in full dress uniform with Dutch Defense Ministry officials in the first ever sanctioned military gay pride contingent. Three active duty gay generals were with us on the uber-gay float. We were literally floating, too: the canals that line the city of Amsterdam, built in the 17th century, were our parade route. Lots of saluting, lots of cheering, lots of dancing… lots of “IN THE NAVY” blasted over and over and over again.

A Freedom of Information Act request for documents on accused whistleblower to WikiLeaks Pfc. Bradley Manning’s treatment at Quantico Marine brig, filed by POLITICO, reveals that on multiple occasions Manning was recommended for removal from “prevention of injury” (POI) status by psychiatrists and psychologists but was not removed.

In war a repressed and stigmatized person, be they soldier or civilian, simply wants to reach out. It is clear Bradley Manning identifies with a deeper gender identity than most people are willing to even begin understanding. The chat logs of his conversations are reminiscent of some of the same feelings that go unvoiced by the vast majority of soldiers: questioning the purpose of our mission when politics has mired us in prisons of moral turpitude. That Bradley voiced his concerns proves he was the least unstable and most moral of all the members of his team. That he happens to be gay or transgender gives our community a new hero who brings great credit to the moral force of our people in this world.

In San Francisco, New York and Chicago, support contingents for Pfc. Bradley Manning, the accused WikiLeaks whistleblower, participated in Sunday’s gay pride parades. Those who marched in contingents aimed to make the LGBT community more aware of Bradley Manning.

Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network and Bradley Manning Support Network Advisory Board member, says he and others in the LGBT community organized a contingent because Manning is a gay man and “we think it is important to stand up for those in our own community who are being victimized.”

While at Netroots Nation 2011, I had the privilege of speaking to Lieutenant Dan Choi, who served in the US Army infantry, went to war in Iraq and graduated from West Point with a degree in Arabic.

Choi was kicked out of the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) about one year ago. At Netroots Nation, Choi celebrated his one year “anniversary or birthday” as a civilian. He also noted that despite DADT being repealed there are still soldiers getting kicked out of the military for being gay.

I found it hard to believe that someone from OFA (albeit a volunteer) decided it was a good idea to approach two committed LGBT activists at their panel and tell them they couldn’t support marriage equality because Obama “hasn’t gone officially on record for it” — as if the President had to take a position before it was possible to form an opinion on the subject. I realize the guy was young, but nobody forced him to go running up to the stage with the cameras rolling.

This week, I am at Netroots Nation #6 in Minneapolis, and I had planned to bring you a video all about one of the themes I saw running through the first day of panels, speeches and briefings. . . I had planned to bring you video, but I am only here through Sunday and that is probably not enough time to upload my usual eight-or-so minutes because the speed of the internet connection here is pre-millennial. . . again.

FDL founder Jane Hamsher is at Netroots Nation in Minneapolis today and will be joining a panel with “Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell” activist Lt. Dan Choi and others titled, “What to Do When the President is Just Not That Into You.”