ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Reichen Lehmkuhl sexually assaulted in Air Force Ross von Metzke | October 26, 2006 Reichen Lehmkuhl NEW YORK — Thrust into the spotlight when his boyfriend, popstar Lance Bass, came out of the closet last month, Amazing Race winner Reichen Lehmkuhl is using his new found fame to shine the spotlight on an issue close to his heart: “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” The reality show star turned model sat down with ABC News earlier this week to discuss widespread homophobia in the military and discussed, for the first time publicly, the day he was assaulted by two cadets while a student at the U.S. Air Force Academy. “A bag was put over my head,” Lehmkuhl said. “I was stripped of my clothes. I was forced to do things sexually with two other male cadets. I think it's the first time that I've said that that happened. I've been ashamed of it.” He said that the assault, combined with the pressure of being gay in the military, nearly drove him to kill himself. He went on to tell Good Morning America he didn’t report the incident at the time out of fear of having to come out publicly. His just released autobiography, Here’s What We’ll Say, discusses his time as a closeted member of the Air Force and his friendships and relationships with other gay cadets. Lehmkuhl discussed Don’t As Don’t Tell in great detail while accepting an award from the Human Rights Campaign earlier this month. In September, boyfriend Lance Bass, formerly of the boyband ‘NSync, came out on the cover of People Magazine. Lehmkuhl and Bass suddenly became the gay community’s new poster couple, turning up at gay functions and events nationwide. Bass has been supporting the book heavily in interviews. Here’s What We’ll Say was released in September. – Gay Link Content Related stories Did I miss the “National Coming Out Week” Memo?