Lesbian West Point cadet comes out, transfers to Yale
Thu. August 12, 2010 7:48 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
West Point, New York -
Cadet Katherine Miller resigned from the U.S Military Academy at West Point on Monday, because she could no longer hide the fact that she is a lesbian.
Miller was ranked ninth in a class of more than a thousand students about to start their third year at West Point. Instead of joining them, she will be attending Yale this fall.
Miller has been blogging anonymously on velvetparkmedia.com since May about her experiences as a lesbian in the military.
In her resignation letter, Miller said DADT effectively coerced her into "ignoring derogatory comments towards homosexuals for fear of being alienated for my viewpoint" and that she "endured sexual harassment for fear of being accused as a lesbian."
She wrote that she had lied to classmates about dating men to hide her sexuality.
"In short, I have lied to my classmates and compromised my integrity and identity by adhering to existing military policy," she concluded.
Cadets can withdraw any time before they begin their second year without paying back the government for their education and without any obligations to serve in the military.
Miller was ranked ninth in a class of more than a thousand students about to start their third year at West Point. Instead of joining them, she will be attending Yale this fall.
Miller has been blogging anonymously on velvetparkmedia.com since May about her experiences as a lesbian in the military.
In her resignation letter, Miller said DADT effectively coerced her into "ignoring derogatory comments towards homosexuals for fear of being alienated for my viewpoint" and that she "endured sexual harassment for fear of being accused as a lesbian."
She wrote that she had lied to classmates about dating men to hide her sexuality.
"In short, I have lied to my classmates and compromised my integrity and identity by adhering to existing military policy," she concluded.
Cadets can withdraw any time before they begin their second year without paying back the government for their education and without any obligations to serve in the military.