His personal experience helped fuel the growth of the gay rights movement, but when the Ministry of National Defense later reversed its policy of not requiring homosexuals to serve in the military, Lin decided to take off for America rather than return to what amounts to a chamber of horrors for gays.
個人經驗成了群體成長的養分。然而為了國防部取消同志免役的政策，林賢修不願意再回到軍隊那個「同志魔域」，長期旅居美國進行同志書籍翻譯，他的同志運動參與成了「身不由己的美國經驗」。