A Lesbian Servicewoman Challenges Her Military Discharge

Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer, chief nurse of the Washington National Guard. Last week she was discharged from the army for being a lesbian. Cammermeyer is one of the highest ranking members of the military ever to be removed because of her sexual orientation. She served in Vietnam where she received the Bronze Star and in 1985 was chosen from 34,000 candidates to be the Veterans Administration's Nurse of the year. She is challenging her dismissal in Federal Court.

Long before the policy barring gays from serving openly in the military ended, Air Force 1st Lt. Josh Seefried started OutServe, a network of gay troops on Facebook. Seefried and his partner talk about what it's like being a gay couple in the military — and about new challenges facing gay troops.

A study of five U.S. allies who ended bans on gays openly serving in their militaries showed that the wide-scale disruptions feared by opponents had never materialized, says historian and study author Nathaniel Frank. He discusses his finding and what they suggest for efforts to end the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.