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As every day passes that Don't Ask Don't Tell is not repealled, the army continue to lose talented soldiers who are not able to serve because of their sexual orientation.
This week, Katerine Miller tendered her resignation, coming out as gay to her superior officers at West Point. Her letter is incredibly moving, and I've decided to repost a portion here, rather than summarize her words.
"… 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."
She's been anonymously blogging about her expereinces at Velvet Park. You can find out more about her case at Knights Out.
