ROTC Student May Be Forced To Repay Army Scholarship After Coming Out

[mod mom]

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student Sara Isaacson said coming out as a lesbian was a matter of integrity.

But because Isaacson is an ROTC member, her choice to publicly declare her sexuality might cost her $80,000 -- the cost of her tuition so far at UNC, which has been paid for thus far by an ROTC scholarship.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more:

Isaacson, 21, said she thought the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy was unfair years before she realized she was a lesbian and realized she had the option of hiding her sexual orientation. But she said misleading others would go against the Army's values.

Lt. Col. Monte Yoder, the head of North Carolina's ROTC program, said the Army is losing a "great young American" because of Isaacson's decision to hand him a letter formally declaring her sexuality. He said he gave Isaacson a chance to withdraw her letter - a step he could take because Isaacson isn't technically in the military, Yoder said.

-snip

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/14/sara-isaacson-rotc-cadet_n_576401.html

WTF...Someone from the Obama Administration needs to step in!

[readmoreoften]

1. That is way fucked up.

[xchrom]

2. Another day in the life of lgbtiq people. Nt

[Oregone]

3. Well seriously...

Could anyone (gay/straight/whatever) get free tuition with ROTC and just declare being gay to avoid their service?

Yeah, the whole gay banned from military thing is BS. But looks like they created quite a problem to people smart enough to catch on.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. Was she required to state her sexual preference before starting ROTC?

If she was and lied, then she compromised her integrity until she came out.

Don't ask Don't tell should be abolished. But if she signed up for ROTC, for the monetary help with her college knowing full well her lifestyle was not accepted legally, then she should repay the money as if she took a GSL. Because she can no longer repay the loan with her work.