Filming for the documentary “Out of Annapolis” began in late October 2008 on the Yard of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Filming of the individual participant interviews began in November, and by the holiday hiatus in mid December, about forty percent of the planned interviews have been filmed, primarily in locations along the Eastern Seaboard between Philadelphia and Boston. Additionally, about 18 percent of the planned “off-camera” interviews, a study to develop an overall profile of the LGBT alumni in conjunction with the film, have also been completed.
Our original intention was to present a film primarily of interest to the LGBT community for use in numerous LGBT film festivals around the country. A recent article in the Baltimore Sun reported on some of the initial direction of the film. But as production progresses further, the stories being told are being realized as too powerful and too important to remain within this limited audience.
What we are learning is that over 90% of our participants did not identify as LGBT when they took the Oath of Office as a Midshipman, more than 50% still didn’t identify as LGBT four years later at graduation from the US Naval Academy, when they were commissioned as officers serving in the US Navy and US Marine Corps. And for the vast majority, the coming out process was very, very difficult, sometimes impacting performance and usually impacting their career aspirations. Deployments and service within the war zones had the added stress of separation from their partners who had to remain invisible. As a whole, this project is revealing that despite the added pressures of living within the restrictions of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” we continue to be very dedicated to serving our country while remaining very dedicated to our families.
We have now identified over 200 LGBT Naval Academy Alumni, many who cannot participate in the project as they remain on active duty in service to their country. This number continues to grow. Our outreach will continue throughout the project so that we can better put a face on who we, the LGBT Alumni, really are.
Production updates, participant lists, schedules and inquiry contact information can be found at the film website at OutOfAnnapolis.com. Some portions of the site are restricted to the registered participants. It is planned that a film “trailer” will be posted on the website in Mid-January, 2009.