A lesbian soldier who deserted the U.S. military appealed to a Canadian judge for asylum Tuesday, claiming she was repeatedly harassed and threatened with death, then denied a discharge because her superiors wanted to send her to Afghanistan. Pte. Bethany Smith, who adopted the name Skyler James upon fleeing to Canada two years ago, took her case to Federal Court after being rejected as a refugee by the Immigration and Refugee Board. Smith's lawyer, Jamie Liew, said she knows of no lesbian or gay American soldier who has been granted refugee status in Canada or elsewhere based on sexual orientation....