'Out of Annapolis' Puts a Face on Military Policy Against Gays and Lesbians

Director Steve Clark Hall makes the most compelling case to date for the end of "don't ask, don't tell" in his riveting new documentary, "Out of Annapolis," which profiles 11 former sailors and Marines -- including Hall -- who attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in the '70s, '80s and '90s. That a film can make you simultaneously feel so proud and so ashamed to be an American is something I don't recall ever feeling before -- and something the film's producers hope will help end this inhumane policy against gays and lesbians in uniform, who put their lives on the line every day to defend this country.

   During a Q&A at the Newfest screening I attended, several of the guys featured in the film expressed belief that the policy would be changed soon, but made it clear that they strongly doubted anyone in the military would actually come out as a result -- so much for the "grave concerns" over morale, etc. -- for fear of retaliation and jeopardizing their careers, but that it would finally put an end to the witch hunts that have only increased during "don't ask, don't tell." 

 Catch the film next at Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, on June 26 at the Castro Theatre. Full complete information, please visit the official site HERE.