Home

the “Out of Annapolis” Study

Thanks for coming to the study page.

STUDY INPUTS ARE CURRENTLY ON HOLD AS WE INCORPORATE ADDITIONAL AREAS OF INTEREST WHICH WILL ASSIST TO BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE LGBT NAVAL ACADEMY MIDSHIPMEN AND ALUMNI

You do NOT need to be a member of USNA Out to complete this survey, but you must be an alumni of USNA (i.e. Took the oath of office as a midshipman).

Note: Active Duty and others who desire to remain TOTALLY "Anon" for whatever reason, you can take this survey "anonymously" but we will need to confirm that you are an actual LGBT alumni of USNA. Those who wish to remain TOTALLY ANON please contact one of the study team reps to get a unique identifier:
     Steve Hall '75
     Brian Wiechowski '97

This my initial revised submission.

Your Name or survey ID:
[ Note: Active Duty/Reservists, you may use your SAGALA AKA or other unique identifier. ]

email address: [ optional ]
For return receipt your input or to advise you of submission form malfunction

Your name/ID are not linked to your responses below for any data analysis.


Please answer as many of the following questions as you are comfortable in answering.

  1. What is your USNA Class?
  2. How do you identify?
    Gay
    Lesbian
    Bisexual
    Transgender
    Queer
    Questioning
    Straight   [ Please proceed to "Survey Submission" ]
    Other
  3. When you took the "Oath of Office" as a Midshipman at USNA, how did you identify?
    I was fully out to myself on I-Day.
    I had some thoughts, but was in denial or wanted it to go away or thought it was a phase.
    I had some thoughts, but only later looking back did I understand what I was feeling.
    I was totally unaware on I-Day about my future sexual identity.
  4. At what point in your life did you finally accept your identity as LGBT and that was the way it was going to be?
    In High School before I-Day.
    As a Plebe.
    As a Youngster.
    As a 2/C Midshipman.
    As a Firstie.
    As a Junior Officer within 5 years of commissioning.
    As an officer more than 5 years after commissioning.
    After my discharge from the military.
  5. How difficult was it for you to transition/accept your LGBT identity?
    Very - major life/career decisions - suicidal or near suicidal.
    Somewhat - some career/life decisions, a lot of personal stress.
    A little, it was a major irritant, some personal stress.
    Not at all, I just accepted it as "a fact of life."
  6. Were you ever "officially engaged" to get married?
    Yes
    No
  7. Did you get married in a heterosexual relationship?
    Yes
    No
  8. When in the Navy/Marine Corps, to whom were you "out?"
    Family Friends Navy/USMC
  9. If you identified as LGBT as a midshipman, did your USNA roommate know?
    Yes.
    No.
    N/A - I was not out to myself as a midshipman.
  10. If you identified as LGBT as a midshipman or officer AND you were "out" to others in the military, do you feel that by knowing you their opinion of LGBT people changed?
    Yes, I believe that their opinions changed by knowing about me.
    No.
    No, they already had a good opinions of LGBT people.
    No.
    N/A - I was not "out" to anyone in the military.
  11. While on active duty, did you ever have a "long-term" same-sex relationship? [ "long term" defined as a relationship that you would have expected to be long term regardless of how/when it ended or if it is still intact ]
    Yes.
    No.
    I was not "out" while on active duty.
  12. While on active duty, do you feel that you fully integrated into your unit as well as your peers?
    Yes.
    No.
  13. While on active duty, how do you feel the policy towards homosexuals affected your performance?
    Positively - I did better because of it.
    No effect on my performance at all.
    Somewhat negatively, I could have done some things better.
    A lot, it had significant impact, but I was not terminated.
    Significantly by definition, I was discharged because of it.
  14. While on active duty, were you ever threatened by a superior, peer or subordinate to have your sexual identity exposed?
    Yes.
    No.
  15. If you are/were on active duty today and DADT were to end, to whom would you be "out?"
    Family Friends Navy/USMC
  16. What is your warfare specialty? If you had more than one, please chose the one that you prefer to be remembered


  17. What is your current military status? Or why did you leave the Navy/Marine Corps?
    I'm still on Active Duty [ please skip questions 18-22 and proceed to "Demographic Information" ]
    I'm still in the Reserves [ please skip questions 18-22 and proceed to "Demographic Information" ]
    Retired from Active Duty
    Retired from the Reserves
    Discharged under DADT or former policy
    Voluntary Resig or all other types of discharge except DADT/Retirements
  18. Year you were discharged/retired/resigned:
  19. How much did policies towards homosexuals serving affect your decision to leave the service?
    Not at all.
    Somewhat, but not the primary factor.
    Significantly, I probably would have stayed in longer.
    Significantly, I was discharged because of it.
  20. If you were discharged under DADT or previous policies, were you:
    Self Identified, "get me out of here!" [ please go to line 22 ]
    Turned in by others [ please comment in line 21 ]
    N/A - was not discharged under DADT or previous policies [ please go to line 22 ]
  21. If turned in by another, who reported you?
    [ superior, subordinate, co-worker, chaplain, doctor, former friend, roommate, NIS, NCIS, or specify other ]

  22. As a civilian/retiree, how "out" are you today?
    Family Friends At Work


    Part Two (Added Study Areas)

    The following areas of interest have been added to the study to help understand some of the factors regarding LGBT alumni and establish baseline conditions for future trends regarding acceptance of LGBT over time.

    Demographic Data

  23. How would you best describe your race?
    White.
    Black or African American.
    Mexican-American, Mexican, Chicano, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Central or South American, or other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino.
    Native-American, American Indian or Alaska Native.
    Asian-American, Asian-Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese or other Southeast Asian
    Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Guamanian, Chamorro or other Pacific Islander.
    Mixed.
    Other.
  24. How would you best describe your family situation growing up before you entered the Naval Academy?
    Two natural parents at home most of the time.
    Natural mother and stepfather at home most of the time.
    Natural father and stepmother at home most of the time.
    Two parents, but one was in the military or often worked away from home
    One parent - only Mother at home
    One parent - only Father at home
    Adopted parents.
    Another family situation.
  25. How would you best describe your family faith/religion growing up before you entered the Naval Academy?
    Strong Catholic.
    Catholic.
    Strong Protestant.
    Protestant.
    Evangelical.
    Jewish.
    Religion was not a big part of my family life before I entered the Naval Academy.
    Other.
  26. Were you a recruited athlete for USNA?
    Yes
    No
  27. What was your academic major (minor prior to 1971) at USNA?
    Naval Science (prior to the majors/minors program)
    Engineering/Naval Architecture
    Math/Science
    Humanities/Social Studies
  28. What was the highest rank you achieved as a midshipman?


  29. What was the military history of your family?
    There was little to no military influence in my past.
    I have at least one parent who served as enlisted.
    I have at least one parent who was a career officer, but not a USNA graduate.
    I have at least one parent who was a career officer ANS is a USNA graduate.
    I have a parent who achieved flag rank

    OTHER ACADEMIC FACTORS

  30. As a midshipman or as an officer in the fleet/FMF, did you ever talk to a Navy Chaplain about any issues relating to being LGBT?
    Yes
    No

    I'm having problems with the wording on the next one

  31. At the time you were coming out to yourself, how hard did you feel it was to let go of idea or expectation that you would eventually have family of one husband, one wife and possibly children? [for the purposes of this question, we will call this the classic” family
    I was relieved
    I had some getting used to, but got over it fairly quickly.
    I found it somewhat difficult to let go.
    I have/expect to have a “classic” family
  32. When you initially came out to non-peers who did not identify as LGBT, particularly when you were first coming out, do/did you feel it easier to discuss with:
    Women.
    Women, but particularly lesbian women.
    Men.
    Men, but particularly gay men.
    Gender/identity didn't seem to make a difference.
    N/A – I didn't share my identification with anyone
  33. Often our identification as LGBT is considered by others as a “lifestyle choice.” How much do you feel that you had a “choice” in your identification/re-identification as LGBT?
    I believe I had a choice to identify as LGBT
    I believe I had no choice in my identification.
  34. In comparison to your peers, how “happy” do/did you feel you as an LGBT individual while on active duty in the Navy or Marie Corps?
    Happier than my peers.
    About as happy as my peers.
    Not as happy as my peers.
    Miserable compared to my peers.


    Survey Submission:

Any comments?

Prior to the hitting the "submit" button below, please review the pull-down selections in the survey to ensure you have completed all fields that you are comfortable about sharing.