Lesbian cadet quits West Point over DADT
The Washington Post reports a lesbian cadet asked to resign from the U. S. Military Academy because she said she can no longer lie about her sexuality and was troubled by the antigay attitudes of some around her.
Katherine Miller of Findlay, Ohio, also said she wants to fight for repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, a subject she was studying and writing about as a sociology major at West Point.
“I intend for my resignation to offer a concrete example of the consequences of a failed law and social policy,” she wrote in her resignation letter on Aug. 9.
Ranked ninth in the class of some 1,100 cadets entering their third year, Miller’s letter was dated a week before she was required to commit to finishing her final two years and serve five in the military.
Portland’s only lesbian bar to close
Yahoo News reports The Egyptian Club, Portland, Ore.’s, only lesbian bar, will close its doors for good Oct. 9 due to financial difficulties.
Owner Kim Davis noted her dismay, saying, “I don’t want to do this, I really don’t. [Running this club is] the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life and the coolest.”
Last year, GayCities.com rated the club the nation’s best lesbian bar.
The shutdown of The Egyptian comes in the wake of the closure announcement of New York City’s Starlite Lounge.
Target: No donations for gay groups
Minneapolis’ Star Tribune reports Target Corp. said Aug. 16 it won’t give money to gay-friendly causes to quiet the uproar over a $150,000 donation that helped support an antigay Minnesota governor candidate.
The company said it was “best to wait” given the controversy, which prompted Facebook calls for a boycott.
“We believe that it is impossible to avoid turning any further actions into a political issue and will use the benefit of time to make thoughtful, careful decisions on how best to move forward,” the company said in a statement.
In response, the Human Rights Campaign said it will contribute $150,000 to political candidates in Minnesota who support gay marriage.
— Larry Nichols