As the battle against lesbians and gays in the military wages on like
the Hundred Years War, the highest-ranking of those to speak out is Col.
Margarethe Cammermeyer.
One of thousands of lesbian and gay people ousted not for any action but
simply for their sexual orientation, Cammermeyer served in the Army,
Army
Reserve, and National Guard. She received numerous awards and
distinctions, including the Bronze Star for distinguished service in
Vietnam.
Discharged as chief nurse of the Washington National Guard,
Cammermeyer's infamous firing came three years after she told a military
investigator she was a lesbian. A federal judge ordered her
reinstatement in 1994.
Cammermeyer remains a soft-spoken yet eloquent spokesperson for the
right of queer folk to serve their country. She became a darling of the
media when Glenn Close portrayed her in a 1995 TV movie.
Cammermeyer continues to give inspirational speeches around the country.
Although she didn't win, her 1997 nomination for a congressional seat in
the state of Washington proved her continued respect and popularity.
Perfect vice-presidential material, if you ask us.
And the Flag Was Still There: Straight People, Gay People, and
Sexuality in the U.S. Military, by Lois Shawver
Don't: A Reader's Guide to the Military's Anti-Gay Policy, by
Janet E. Halley
Gays and the Military: Joseph Steffan Versus the United States,
by Joseph Steffan, Marc Wolinsky (Editor), and Kenneth Sherrill (Editor)
Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the U. S. Military,by
Randy Shilts
Gay Rights, Military Wrongs: Political Perspectives on Lesbians and
Gays in the Military, by Craig A. Rimmerman (Editor)
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| Cheat Sheet |
Stats:
Born: 1942 in Oslo, Norway
Moved with her family to Washington, D.C. at the age of nine
Became a U.S. citizen in 1960
Current home: Whidbey Island, off the coast of Washington state.
Cammermeyer lives with her life partner Diane, Diane's mother, and their
three dogs.
She has four sons and five grandchildren.
Awards:
Bronze Star for service in Vietnam
Woman of the Year by the Woman's Army Corps Veterans
Meritorious Service Medal and Nurse of the Year by the Veterans Affairs
Department
Honorary Human Rights Award by the American Nurses Association
Humanitarian Award by the Privacy Fund
Hannah Solomon award by the Jewish Women League
Distinguished Alumna from the University of Washington School of Nursing
The TV movie Serving in Silence won three Emmy Awards
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Margarethe wins nomination
Government appeal dismissed in Cammermeyer reinstatement
TV Movie about Cammermeyer
More military stories
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