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Rarely has it been so eloquently put:
I have created a heterosexual dating history to recite to fellow cadets when they inquire. I have endured unwanted approaches by male cadets for fear of being accused as a lesbian by rejecting or reporting these events. I have been coerced into ignoring derogatory comments towards homosexuals for fear of being alienated for my viewpoint. In short, I have lied to my classmates and compromised my integrity and my identity by adhering to existing military policy.
While at the academy, I have made a deliberate effort to develop myself academically, physically, and militarily, but in terms of holistic personal growth I have reached a plateau. I am unwilling to suppress an entire portion of my identity any longer because it has taken a significant personal, mental, and social toll on me and detrimentally affected my professional development. I have experienced a relentless cognitive dissonance by attempting to adhere to §654 [colloquially known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"] and retain my integrity, and I am retrospectively convinced that I am unable to live up to the Army Values as long as the policy remains in place.
The above is an excerpt from the resignation of Cadet Katherine Miller. By every measure, Cadet Miller has been an exemplary officer candidate. As Andrew Exum put it, “Katherine Miller is exactly the kind of person we need in the ranks of our nation’s junior officer corps.” But because of the military’s discriminatory policy towards homosexuals, she resigned, and the Army lost exactly the sort of person it needs more of.
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As I have stated before, I served with gay and lesbians when I was on active duty in the USAF in the late ’70s/early ’80s. The only problems were when someone had a grudge against the gay or lesbian person.
Thank you for this report lewismd. Repeal DADT now.
As abominable as DADT is, those of us LGBT Americans who got thrown before that policy had it much, MUCH worse. People discharged under DADT get a uniform general discharge under honorable conditions. Before DADT it was pretty much up to the individual command to categorize the type of discharge. I myself lost two pay grades, half a month’s pay for three months and all of the benefits I had earned over five years of honorable service. I got an administrative discharge under other than honorable conditions, despite the fact that I never violated the UCMJ and in the twenty years since, haven’t found any way to redress that or restore my benefits. I also know at least one person who had it far worse than I did and got a BCD, (Bad Conduct Discharge), it was really dependent on how much your unit commander hated gay people. I also know an out lesbian in a different command who stayed in until she retired and got her partner a civilian job and everything. I’m not trying to defend DADT or to point out how much better the people discharged today have it but it’s important for that bit of perspective I think. Too many people seem to speak about the subject as if LGBT persecution in the military started with and because of DADT and that’s just not the case.
Despite claiming otherwise, Barack Obama is a homophobe, or he wouldn’t be opposed to gay marriage.
He’s a narcissist addicted to wealth and power and not smart enough to keep all of his lies straight.
He is transparent.
We can tell what he fears and hates about himself by his shadow that he projects on us.
Barack Obama is an actor
Uncomfortable in his own skin.
He hates us because he cannot fool us,
And we don’t hate him
We see him at war with himself.
Reminds me of e.e. cummings’s poem,
minnever cheevy, child of scorn
Wished that he’d never been born,
And he had reasons.
Tis a pity he’s a whore.
Despite claiming otherwise, Obama is a neocon.
ex-Cadet is my heroine.
Yes, indeed.
Despite claiming otherwise, Obama is a politician….
mikey