Reichen Lehmkuhl Sexually Assaulted in the Military

Reichen Lehmkuhl, known for winning the reality show "The Amazing Race" and for dating N'Sync star Lance Bass, was sexually assaulted while he was serving in the military.

In an interview with ABC News, Reichen says that he always dreamt of being in the Air Force: "It was a childhood dream to fly, and then it came more of an adult dream to not just fly but to ... [go to] the Air Force Academy and to be an officer, to be a leader in the U.S. Air Force."

When he entered the Air Force Academy, Reichen was living with the secret of his sexuality: "I remember the panic that came over me at that moment realizing, 'What am I going to do? Am I going to be able to change this? How can I admit this?'"

The Military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy offered little protection for a gay captain hoping to maintain his privacy and his dignity.

"There was definitely an institutionalized acceptance of people being homophobic and telling gay jokes and making homophobic remarks -- really, really mean homophobic remarks to the point of, 'Kill gay people,'" he told ABC News.

Speculation grew about Lehmkuhl"s sexual orientation until one night, when he said he was sent a message. He said he was sexually assaulted by the people he served beside everyday.

"A bag was put over my head," he said. "I was stripped of my clothes. I was forced to do things sexually with two other male cadets."

Lehmkuhl said that night he hit rock bottom and considered ending his life.

"That's when you start having suicidal thoughts, and that's when you start saying, 'Oh my God. I am so stuck in this situation. I can't go to anyone,' " he said.

He kept silent about the incident, and served out his commitment to the Air Force.

Lehmkuhl now hopes his story will help prompt the military to take a more critical look at the policy on gays -- a policy, he said, that is simply failing.