Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer (Glenn Close) is a dedicated mother and medical officer who has spent most of her life serving in the United States military. However, after she falls in love with another woman, Diane (Judy Davis), and reveals during a routine interview that she's a lesbian, she's discharged for violating the military's "immoral conduct" policy. Feeling betrayed, Margarethe fights back, taking her case to court and becoming a reluctant but powerful voice against discrimination.