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Hardcover
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Format: Illustrated
Reichen Lehmkuhl was playing the role of his life while in the Air Force. Not wanting to face a court martial for being gay, he had to live in a world where he had to watch everything he did and said for fear of being outed; and in another world where he was free to be himself. "One of the hardest things for me to reconcile was the fact that I was completely open with my family and friends but faced the very real possibility of being court martialed and going to jail if I was open with my 'work' colleagues." As Reichen explains, "The don't ask don't tell policy is so contradictory to what the Air Force and all the armed forces stand for ... but they force you to lie in order to serve your country." It was the contradictions which led Reichen to leave the Air Force once he completed his commitment. Happenstance brought Reichen to meet a friend at a Los Angeles restaurant where he was approached by the casting director for "The Amazing Race." Reichen believes his military training was extremely helpful in his winning the show's million dollar prize.
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| Excellent |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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What a coming out story.He really beat himself up mentaly.
Wanting and trying to be "normal" and only realizing after so many years that being gay was o.k.and kept going after his dream
Great...fast read.
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| Nice, if unbelievable |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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In the forward of Reichen's book, he explains that he is not only speaking for himself in "Here's What We'll Say", but he is also speaking for other cadets he worked with and using their stories as his own (to protect their anonymity). With these dubious allegations, he offers forth a tale of desolation and control that even I have a hard time swallowing.
At times disturbing, methodical, and sad, "Here's What We'll Say" feels honest despite it's admittance to bending the whole truth. Being unfamiliar with Reichen Lehmkuhl's life did not hinder my enjoyment of his story in the slightest. He is concise and sharp and gives the gritty hard details of what an experience at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO can be like. Why he admits to having no ill will about this place, I will never begin to understand. It must definitely be part of the bond comrades of their institution feel toward one another. I am just certainly glad he chose to share it with me.
The book, itself, holds no weight against the career that he has made for himself and could have easily been written by any of his fellow cadets. It took some suspension of belief at points, but I think overall it was a nice read.
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| Excellent and Enjoyable |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This is one of those books that after I finished it, I miss it. I miss hearing about Reichen's stories. He does very well doing it, and I must thank him for sharing so many personal and intimate details of his life. (I suppose this is why people write their autobiographies though). But many don't share quite as intimately as Reichen does. Since he is a young man still, we are taken right from early childhood up to the current time. A sequel would be nice. But wouldn't hold the same intrigue as this book did.
I think Reichen Lehmkuhl is a lovely person and it was so exciting to read about him growing up. He was a grateful, loving child and youth and seemed like a good and obedient child. The main reason I bought the book was because I LOVE to read about homosexuals and military life. There aren't that many type books out there. And most of them end up with the author fighting the military about being gay (and always losing). Reichen played pretty much by the rules---he did graduate from the USAF Academy and helped many others to successfully progress through their training & education also.
This was a delightful read. I became so scared for him that he was going to get caught in the Academy. I couldn't quite understand his falling back into women and heterosexuality at low moments, but I had to keep telling myself that he WAS young and most likely still questioning himself. I had to remember that I did similar things. This is one book I will KEEP as one of my special books and will reread again someday.
I was unhappy with the photos. They are almost worthless. Like they were from someone else's camera and a hasty addition to the book. Biographies are so much better when they include photos throughout the life. These are very bad.
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| True to the spirit of that era |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I lived in Colorado Springs during the late 1980s, and I had a cousin who graduated from the Academy in 1992, so I'm familiar with the culture of both the city and the Academy during the general time period that Reichen was a cadet. While he obviously had to use made-up names for his characters and create composite characters based on more than one person to protect his friends, the virulently anti-gay atmosphere that he describes is true to life. As a gay man myself, I had to remain deeply closeted in my own sports-related work environment, as well as enduring constant tirades in the local news media about the evils of "the chosen homosexual lifestyle." That Reichen was able to engage in any kind of gay-oriented social life at the Academy, Ground Zero for all things homophbic in "The Springs," demonstrates a high capacity for risk taking--some might even call it courage.
While I've lost a lot of respect for Reichen in his post-military quest for eternal youth and gay celebrity status (I guess he has to play on his looks while he still has them), I'll always admire him for writing this book.
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| Fascinating and Inspiring Story |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This story is very fascinating and inspiring story. I am sure I will read this book many more times.
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