Former West Point Cadet Sergeant Katherine Miller has been denied re-entry into the military academy, the Huffington Post reports. Cadet Miller dropped out last year because she's gay and didn't want to live as a closeted student under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. She reapplied after President Obama signed the repeal into law in December. From the HuffPo:
Officials at the U.S. Military Academy said they had no choice but to reject Katherine Miller's application, because the repeal of the policy barring gays from serving openly in the military is not in effect yet. The policy's repeal did not occur immediately after President Barack Obama signed the legislation in December as training and certification are required before the ban is lifted.
Pentagon officials say the repeal could be complete by September, but that one training video we showed you -- the one with the avatars and the finger quotes -- didn't look so great.
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How long is training and certification ? 10ys? What the hell are they waiting for? If they need help with training stuff, lets give them a hand,
Its real simple: 'I am the First Sergeant. Gays are going to be in this unit. Do not F#ck with them or I will jump down your throat with both combat boots. And don't think I can't make your life miserable or won't know when it happens. Dismissed.'
At least that's how it used to be.
The whole point of DADT repeal is that the military will no longer discharge gay military personnel for being gay. So, yeah, just how long does it take to implement a procedure for not doing something? Since when did the US military get so Zen?
Why does it require "training" to deal with gay soldiers? They shouldn't be dealt with any differently than straight soldiers. The only difference between gay and straight is who they have sex with. Which isn't something any commanding officer needs to be concerned about when it comes to his or her soldiers.
Furthermore, why did they flat out reject Miller? If they really do need this training before they can accept openly gay students, then why not put her on some kind of waiting list? Now, when they give the green light, she's going to have to apply all over again, which I'm sure is a lengthy, complicated process. It sounds to me like they're still trying to make it as difficult as possible for gay people to be in service.
I agree but there has been gay soldiers really they need to grow up because you know people are gay that is part of life.
You wha'? (Definitely not aimed at CoraH.)
I don't want to reduce her status or the import of her fight or anything, but goodness she's beautiful.
The thing that upsets me is that transgendered individuals will still have no option for service. The LGB community got what they wanted, though, so they're happy for themselves, nevermind the trans folk who came to support them.
Cadet Miller, please don't forget us when you make it back in.
Between this and tax-payer's money going to lawyers who fight to repeal DOMA, I feel at a loss. It was such a victory when Don't Ask Don't Tell was repealed, that is, until everybody read the fine print.
Who someone loves is arbitrary to how they work, act, and live their lives. Our country and government needs to get on board and realize that love is a truly beautiful thing, no matter who the people in love are.
We, as a country and as a world, need to get to the point where no one needs to fear 14 years in prison, or being the butt of a joke, because of who they love. I am hopeful that someday there will be no coming out, let alone a coming out process, because heterosexuality will not be assumed.
That Langston Hughes poem that was posted on here about a week ago is one of my favorites, and I think everyone should take a look at it.
I don't hate America because I criticize it - I want to see it at it's best, and I know we can do better.
i thought the military academy was full of bright officers? Sgt. Katherine Miler is an asset to the academy and to the military. i just wish they saw that. :(
How could you possibly know that? Do you know her personally? Do you know why she quit? She went into West Point knowing that she would have to cover up her sexuality. So what changed? I feel there is more to the story than her just having an epiphany. Maybe it was too hard for her and this was one of the easiest ways out that made her look like a hero? DADT has been used by many people to get out of the armed forces because they just didn't like it anymore and it's an easy route that makes the government look bad.
I was and am all for the repeal of DADT, but I also don't think they should allow this person back in.
Victor, speaking as someone who has gay friends at an institution where they can be kicked out for their sexuality, let me be the first to say: Shut up.
Miller may have gone into West Point thinking that she could deal with being closeted, but then discovered that she didn't want to live a lie constantly. I'm currently witnessing one of my friends dealing with having to go back into the closet and it's ugly.
For someone who started out his comment by saying, "You don't know her so how can you judge her to be fit" you're being hypocritical. Let me throw this back at you: "You don't know her either, so how can you judge her to be unfit?"
Victor is an idiot. If you watched the earlier videos, she was STRAC. Its what we needed in an officer. She could run most of the WPPA into the ground.
victor, if she wanted to get out why hit the press on standing tall of repealing DADT and then why submit to come back?
if you look sgt katherine miller up, you'll see interviews she gave and of all of her high honors and achievements.
it's not about being a hero, it's about standing up for what is right.
September, eh? I may have to revise my pessimistic estimate, which back in December read:
"After 21 years in the military, I'm pretty aware of how slowly the military culture changes. I would expect 2-3 years before full policy implementation and gays being allowed to serve openly. It will be 10-15 years before you see gay couples openly and fully embraced by the services. Why? Because this kind of change is generational, we have to wait for the old leadership (and thus old ideas) to retire."
If they get it done by December 11, I'll be very surprised.
Covah, the training is to make sure everyone knows the rules apply equally to gay and straight. Partly to make sure everyone knows what the new standards are and partly to make sure that leadership has a CYA, so that no military member can't claim to "not have known" that the policy had changed as a defense when they pick on/beat up/rape/or otherwise harass a gay member. I don't know what to say other than, this is how modern bureaucracy works.
John I just hope more people are grown up it's the older one will have the problem with this.
This is going to make me sound like a bad person but I don't want her to be able to go back in. It has nothing to do with her sexual orientation either. She was a cadet at West Point. She raised her right hand and swore an oath to the constitution of the United States. She knew that she would have to cover up the fact that she was a lesbian when she joined. I personally feel that since she chose to quit she should not be allowed back into that school. I am all for her going to her nearest recruiter once the ban is lifted officially and signing up to join the armed forces, but as far as West Point goes, I hope they don't take her back.
Just my opinion, made as a 14 year veteran of the United States Army.
Well, Victor, you must be right. Who would want the leadership of this country to include people like Katherine Miller when we have such paragons of virtue as Ben Quail, Donale Trump and Rush Limbaugh?
"VictorJ" assumes — incorrectly — that West Point Cadet Katherine Miller did not leave for the ethical reasons that she gave to the public and her commanding officer, but because "maybe it was too hard for her and this was one of the easiest ways out."
That is untrue. Miller is 9th ranked in her class of 1157, with a 3.8 grade point average, and does 68 push-ups in 2 minutes. If service is too hard for her, then it’s also too hard for 99% of her entire class.
"VictorJ" also assumes — again, incorrectly — that Miller was sure she was lesbian before taking her oath, and so should never have taken it.
That is untrue.
Miller gradually discovered her orientation around the same time that she began military classes, but — like most military personnel — she was not fully aware of it prior to her enlistment. Her only dishonesty was in pretending to be heterosexual, because the federal law (DADT) forces her — and all bisexuals, lesbians, and gays — to lie about how they live and who they love.
Miller’s sole reason for leaving was that she would not continue to lie, and federal law required her to lie.
Given that Miller is physically, mentally, and ethically the best of the best, and given that she did nothing wrong, there’s no good reason for the U.S. military not to welcome her back with open arms, pronto.
It was the regs that forced her out, change the regs she should be let back in. She'll be a bit older than her cadre, but over time that won't matter, She's going to be a fast burner. Hits the right schools, had the attitude, I'd want her as one of my junior officers. I didn't do the ground bit, a bit more intellectual, but she'd be an officer the Army should keep.
maybe they should get TRMS to produce it. ^_^
To Cheryll-2611946: Six months is quite rapid for re-training 2.2 million people spread over most countries around the world. It's especially rapid given that all personnel must be re-trained to do the exact same thing, flawlessly, without objection or complaint. And 6 months is lightning-quick when you remember that this re-training runs counter to both long-term social bias and also to ancient religious fanaticism.
A reading of the Pentagon's many DADT repeal training course materials shows them all to be excellent. Every course conducted so far has been 100% successful (which is a legal requirement for repeal to even occur at all). Going too fast would be less than 100% effective, and thus would prevent the repeal itself; therefore, be patient, and let it get done correctly, once and for all.
My wife (who could have been affected by this as she is bisexual and firmly closeted as far as the military is concerned) did some training on this yesterday (active duty Navy). She noted that at best it's still half-hearted. Same-sex couples will still not be able to claim spousal benefits such as BAH, base housing, Tricare etc. So while it will be illegal to discriminate against the GLB member personally (but transgender people are not protected) there will be effective discrimination anyway.
They ought to claim spousal benefits IF the got married in a state that allows it. That's discrimination.
Agreed, but that's what was said. Her overall take was that there was a lot of smirking and she does expect unofficial discrimination to remain in place, especially on the level of interpersonal relations (which amused her a little, given the amount of homoerotic play among submariners). She believes it will take years to root this out because military culture has always frowned at LBGT people and held them up to ridicule. She's separating within the year so won't see the run-on from it.
Her overall impression is that this is going to be a long road. She notes that women are still subject to a lot of sexism and that she expects the situation will be similar for LBG people as well
Sounds like the military will become more like most workplaces in the US, then.
I really hope this gets sorted out soon... It's such a travesty that willing and deserving people cannot honestly serve just because they have a different sexual orientation! Just because more people are right handed doesn't make lefties subhuman! Same goes with orientation!