Margarethe Cammermeyer

Margarethe Cammermeyer is the highest ranking military official to come out while in the service. Prior to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" she challenged the military policy banning gays and won the right to serve.

In 1994 she published her autobiography Serving in Silence, which was made into a TV movie starring Glenn Close. The movie won a Peabody and three Emmy awards.

Although Margarethe Cammermeyer was allowed to return to service, other gays and lesbians are not so lucky. The military's rule of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" bars openly gay or lesbians from serving in the military. Margarethe Cammermeyer has continued as an activist to fight for the rights of gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

_{© Photo courtesy of Margarethe Cammermeyer}