WASHINGTON – Lt. Dan Choi and former Capt. Jim Pietrangelo pleaded not guilty and asked for a trial today after being arrested Thursday during a nonviolent act of civil disobedience.

Both were released from custody and ordered to appear for trial on April 26.

Both soldiers spent the night in jail after they were arrested for chaining themselves to a White House fence in protest of the military’s controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Both contend that Congress is dragging its feet on repealing that policy, which went into effect during the Clinton administration.

Gay rights supporters were angered yesterday that the men were held without bail until their hearing today. In most cases of nonviolent acts of civil disobedience, those arrested pay a fine and are released immediately. Some believed that authorities were trying to send the soldiers a message.

Choi - who will be given the 2010 Harvey Milk Civil Rights Award at the second annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast in San Diego – has become one of the leading opponents of the DADT policy preventing gays and lesbians from serving openly.

Choi, 29, was an Arab linguist in the Army – a crucial need for the military fighting in Iraq – when he was discharged for being gay. His case is now under appeal.

Pietrangelo was a plaintiff in the DADT case that was turned down last year by the U.S. Supreme Court. He was asking the high court to rule that the DADT policy was unconstitutional.

The arrests were part of a nationwide protest effort orchestrated by GetEQUAL, a new grass-roots gay civil rights movement. GetEQUAL also protested the lack of a vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) by organizing sit-ins at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s offices in Congress and in San Francisco. Activists were arrested at both sit-ins.

The video below appears at Pam's House Blend, which covered today's hearing.