( CNN ) -- A former Army lieutenant who was discharged from service last week for being openly gay said Sunday that he will continue to fight for a quick repeal of the controversial `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy . `` I know that there are a lot of people who are suffering , and my oath , my commitment to them , does n't end , '' former Lt. Dan Choi told CNN 's Don Lemon . Choi was arrested in March for handcuffing himself to a White House fence in protest of the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy , which bars people who are openly gay or lesbian from serving in the military . He admitted his sexual orientation publicly for the first time last year on MSNBC 's `` The Rachel Maddow Show , '' prompting the Army to initiate proceedings to discharge him . Choi said that while his honorable discharge hurts , he knows there is a `` greater purpose for every single one of us , even if we 're stripped of all our wealth or our resources . '' `` One thing about honor , one thing about dignity -- it 's not dependent on what 's written on a document , '' he said . `` That comes from standing up and being truthful to who you are . '' He also vowed to `` continue to speak up for those people who can not . '' `` I 'm going to continue to pressure those who purport to be our friends -- whether they 're congressmen , senators or the president himself . If they make a promise , I will hold them to it . '' President Barack Obama is pushing for a repeal of the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy . A bill that would overturn the measure after a Pentagon review is completed in December is currently before Congress . More than 12,500 gays have been booted from the military since `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' went into effect . Choi , a 2003 West Point graduate who is fluent in Arabic , was an infantry platoon leader , serving with his unit in Iraq in 2006 and 2007 .
Army Lt . General Choi was honorably discharged last year for being openly gay . He says he will continue to advocate for those who can not stand up . President Obama is pushing for a reversal of the controversial policy .