Gay rights activist Dan Choi   believes the leaders of his movement have been too soft on the President.

During his campaign, President Obama promised to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, the 1993 military law that bans gay troops from openly declaring their sexuality while in service.

But after delaying action on the issue for a year, the President has instructed the Pentagon to take another year and review the implications of a repeal.

In the meantime, the Pentagon has backed off from kicking out soldiers who declare they are gay. Lawmakers too have started conducting hearings about the repeal.

While groups like Human Rights Campaign have applauded these steps, they aren't enough for Choi, who chained   himself to the White House fence last month demanding an immediate repeal.

In an interview with Congress.org, Choi explained why he decided to take a stand now.

What are you hoping to accomplish?

It's very obvious right now that the President is ambivalent. We're making the message absolutely clear that the President must show leadership. Most substantively, the fact is the time for his leadership is right now to put repeal language into the Defense authorization bill.

It is quite clear that if he wants to make good on his promise, the only way to do that is to show that resolve so that it requires any opponents of Don't Ask Don't Tell — opponents from both parties — to garner 60 votes in the Senate to strip it out.

What is it about the stand-alone bill   in Congress and the current Pentagon review   that are unsatisfactory to you and your group, GetEqual?

You're still going to have people kicked out every day that we wait for this process to continue. There are many problems that we see with just being satisfied with the prospects just because we have a bill now. Many people would have you believe that should be enough and that we should be placated just by the fact that it's there.

For me as a soldier, as long as there are people who are still suffering under Don't Ask Don't Tell and are having to get fired, how can I be satisfied and still consider myself a moral person? How can the President be satisfied either?

With several military leaders backing the repeal, what do you think is stopping the President from taking this step?

I find it very devastating to see that there are people who would even consider political timetables, as it is very clear that this one-year study will delay it just so conveniently to the point that the 2010 elections can happen and then we can see some sort of action.

It's absolutely an insult to the very nature of American society and the fabric of our morality.

As a military officer, you were well positioned to appear as a moderate voice in favor of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. Why did you risk seeming like an agitator by chaining yourself to the White House fence?

It's interesting what people would call agitators throughout our history particularly with people who are in the military.

You can certainly take a look at those in the American Revolution and those military officers who perhaps would have been called agitators. [They were] well-respected people who could have easily been basking in the simplicity and the comfort of being a moderate.

Power concedes nothing without a demand. Freedom is never given by the oppressor voluntarily. It must be demanded by those who are oppressed. We as gay soldiers or as gay Americans are at the point of immense frustration. Our demands for equality are not taken seriously.

Groups like Human Rights Campaign and Center for American Progress have been working on this issue for a while. What are those groups not doing that you can provide?

Every group has their what we call in the military their constraints, restraints, capabilities, and limitations.

The role that everybody plays must be founded the unequivocal goal and shared belief that we all deserve full equality now. It’s more than a talking point to me. These are things that all of the soldiers, gay or straight, are willing to give their lives for.

We need to show that these are not simply words by activist groups, that they are not another bullet point on a legislative agenda. It must show really clearly through direct action that we are willing to sacrifice to the point of even giving up our jobs and our benefits and comforts and livelihoods in order to do that.

Our demand as an equal rights movement is missing that strength and resolve in our messaging to the President. For whatever reason, we have been allowing the President to remain silent on this and I think that is an absolute slap in the face to what your country stands for.

Some activists have criticized your tactics, saying that they detract from the progress that has already been made. How do you respond to that?

I find it difficult when people would consider I am on the outside looking in. I am serving currently in the U.S. Armed Forces. I am currently much more attuned to what the reality is as far as these sentiments that they are attempting to ameliorate.

For people to say that for the sake of those who are on the fence you must not agitate, I wonder if they would counsel that to those same people who certainly sacrificed [in history] and made contributions towards human progress.

Are you concerned about creating a rift in your community?

The rift exists between those people who would rather have us be closeted and those people who refuse to hide anymore.

The rift exists between those who feel that the potential of our very vibrant community must be somehow muffled and silenced.

The rift exists between those people who purport to represent all of our community when they don't fully acknowledge the absolute resentment of those who feel they don't have a voice for their unequivocal demands.

The rift already exists.

Do you believe you have the backing of the gay community?

They did not need me to come and speak on behalf of them. They've already been speaking very loudly and very clearly.

You wouldn't have seen 200,000 on the steps of the Capitol if it weren't for the feeling of anger as well as the fierce urgency and responsibility that people have. There are grassroots groups that are forming throughout the country.

I believe that it's absolutely clear that the people in the gay community are absolutely disillusioned.

What role is there for celebrities like Lady Gaga and Kathy Griffin, who have worked on gay rights issues, in activism?

There is a role for all American citizens and I'm not going to discount somebody's role just because they are of their profession. If people judged certain professions and their viability in activism, I certainly wouldn’t be speaking with you today as a military officer.

But to me Don't Ask Don't Tell is not something for entertainment value. To me, Don't Ask Don't Tell is not something of a one liner or a joke. It is not a laughing matter.

It is very serious that our spokesperson be President Obama. And it is very clear that he has not been. Through actions, he has been absolutely silent. We still have to be silent in the military; we still have to be ashamed in the military.

What’s next for you if you get this law repealed?

I don't see myself ever fully saying that I would retire from this anytime soon. It's just like I said the court at the arraignment: I am not guilty, I am not ashamed — nor should I be — and I am not finished. So long as there is discrimination, we all have a job to do.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Ambreen Ali writes for Congress.org.

Become a fan of Congress.org on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.