5/19/2012 – An All New World – the Class of 2013 Ring Dance

Dancing in Dahlgren Hall
(photo courtesy Lucky Bag)

2012 was not the first year for same-sex couples to attend the Naval Academy Ring Dance, but those who attended in the years past, before the repeal of the law known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” only did so “flying under the radar.”

At least seven second class midshipmen amongst those who already identity as gay or lesbian in the class of 2013 attended this year’s event in Dahlgren Hall. They were joined by members of the USNA Class of ’63, their “link in the chain.”

11th Company on a Yard walkabout
before the Naval Academy Ring Dance

Take a look at a typical company pre-dance photograph to the right. What is so delightful to behold in this the otherwise typical company photo is that one couple is really no different than the others, unimaginable acceptance a generation ago.

There is more to learn about the evening. USNA Out members, please log in to read a first hand account of this wonderful evening shared by one of the members from the class of 2013 who attended the dance with his civilian boyfriend. As one of the same sex couples to openly attend their Ring Dance with their “link in the chain” Class of ’63, they are fulfill the USNA Out mission of “changing lives and minds of alumni and midshipmen.”

Continue reading “5/19/2012 – An All New World – the Class of 2013 Ring Dance”

upcoming 8/26/2012 – Annapolis 10 Miler

USNA Out members please log in for our members only information about this event.

Annapolis 10M 2008

USNA Out at the Annapolis
Ten Mile Run in 2008

Registration began 1 May for the Annapolis 10 Mile run.

Direct weblink to the registration pages: http://annapolisstriders.org/2012/a10/a102012infoA.htm

Since this is a great race registration fills up usually within 10 days, so sign ASAP once registration begins. It is well supported from the race directors, the town of Annapolis and the mids. The shirt for the finishers looks great and worth the price of running 10 miles. (Check out our jackets–festive!)

USNA Out members, please log in for our members only information and let me know when you do register or if you would like to participate in a supporting role as cheerleader or tailgater.

More information about this race is on the Annapolis Striders website.

See you in Annapolis,
Barb
Continue reading “upcoming 8/26/2012 – Annapolis 10 Miler”

4/15/2012 – Naval Academy LGBT Alumni Honor Class of 2012

April 15, 2012

Naval Academy LGBT Alumni Honor Class of 2012

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Ninety-four U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) alumni, midshipmen and their guests gathered here Saturday to recognize alumni and midshipmen accomplishments over the last year, commemorating seven months since repeal of the law commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

Thirty-one midshipmen of all four classes and their guests attended, along with 34 members of USNA Out – the LGBT organization of U.S. Naval Academy alumni. Sixteen of the midshipmen are seniors, who will graduate on May 29 and be the first class at Annapolis to graduate under the new policy that now allows gay, lesbian and bisexual military members to serve without fear of discharge. The new policy became effective in September 2011, a few weeks after classes resumed for the year at the academy.

Senior LGBT midshipmen who are USNA Out members organized the annual event, a tradition which began in 2009. Naval Academy faculty and staff members and representatives of the Naval Academy Alumni Association also attended at the invitation of the midshipmen. During the event, the midshipmen met with LGBT USNA alumni from classes spanning six decades, including active duty and retired officers. The dinner was hosted at the residence of an USNA Out member who resides in the Annapolis area.

Throughout the event, alumni offered their insights about the exciting careers the senior midshipmen will soon commence and also encouraged all of the midshipmen to do their best in preparing to serve as officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. Following the traditional cutting of the cake by the most senior and most junior members present (Classes of 1961 and 2015), a USNA Chaplain gave the keynote address reminding the graduating class to apply their Naval Academy training when they enter the Fleet and of their unique responsibilities as leaders in the Navy. An alumnus then presented each senior with Navy ensign insignia to wear following commissioning. The insignia will symbolically remind recent graduates serving the nation that the LGBT alumni stand behind them with pride. The evening closed with a singing of the Naval Academy alma mater “Navy Blue and Gold,” led by past and present members of the Naval Academy Glee Club in attendance.

As part of the dinner, USNA Out Chairman of the Board Brian Bender, of New York (USNA Class of 1993), announced to those in attendance a group unrestricted donation of $2,500 from USNA Out to the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. “As part of USNA Out’s discussion about our goals for 2012, our board of directors sought to identify how we as LGBT alumni could give back to the academy,” said Bender. “When we surveyed our members, they strongly supported an unrestricted gift to the Naval Academy Foundation.” Bender served for six years as a submarine officer after graduating from USNA. He has been a USNA Out member since its founding in 2003 and its chairman of the board since 2009.

Since 2005, individual USNA Out members have donated more than $100,000 in private contributions directly to the USNA Foundation. According to Bender, “Even before DADT’s repeal, many USNA Out members individually supported our alma mater because we believed in its special mission to provide leaders for the Naval Service and the nation. Their donations and those like USNA Out’s help fund school programs that provide a margin of excellence beyond what the government provides. And with the repeal of DADT, I anticipate more LGBT alumni will rejuvenate their relationships with USNA, their classmates and other alumni. For the vast majority of alumni, USNA played a significant role in our lives. This donation is our organization’s way to give back – supporting the Brigade of Midshipmen, USNA’s talented faculty and this national institution.”

“This year we saw a significant increase in midshipmen interest and participation, particularly from the graduating class,” said USNA Out Executive Director retired Cdr. Steve Hall, of San Francisco (USNA Class of 1975). Hall added, “This year we saw twice as many seniors compared to last year’s event. We directly attribute this to the repeal of DADT. According to the feedback we have received from our midshipmen members, gay and lesbian midshipmen feel more comfortable and no longer must separate their personal identity from their professional identity. They now can singularly focus on being good junior officers in the fleet like all of their classmates. We think that’s good for USNA, the Navy and Marine Corps, and the country on many levels.” Hall served on active duty for 20 years and commanded two nuclear powered attack submarines during his Navy career.

USNA Out officials report that DADT repeal appears to be going without incident for alumni on active duty and for midshipmen at the academy. According to Bender, “The overwhelming feedback from our alumni out in the fleet is that repeal has been implemented without problems and in those instances where gay and lesbian alumni have told shipmates, there hasn’t been a problem. I think that’s what we expected. Sailors and Marines judge our alumni based on their performance, not their orientation.”

Hall added, “Likewise, our midshipmen report that the DADT repeal has gone smoothly at USNA as well. Many midshipmen have shared with me stories wherein they or someone they knew came out to classmates and to members of their companies. I am not aware that any have faced negative responses. In fact, some received very positive reactions from their heterosexual friends who were supportive of their decision. While I think some of the gay and lesbian mids were initially hesitant to see how DADT repeal would go, they also remind me through their words and actions that for many of this current generation, they and their heterosexual classmates are comfortable with this issue. For most of them, it’s simply not an issue.”

USNA Out is an independent organization established in August 2003 following discussions by various groups of LGBT alumni about how they could become more involved as alumni of the Naval Academy. The group organized as a 501(c)(3) in late 2009.

USNA Out currently has 285 members, including 73 active duty alumni serving in the fleet. USNA Out currently counts more than 40 midshipmen identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual at the Naval Academy, with 34 members who are official members of USNA Out. Bender added, “We know there are more gay, lesbian and bisexual midshipmen simply based on the demographics of the Naval Academy, which draws students from the population of the U.S at-large. However, identifying as LGBT is a personal decision based on many factors, some of which are unrelated to USNA or the repeal of DADT. Regardless, we as LGBT alumni have and will continue to be there to support them. The repeal of DADT makes that easier.”

USNA Out’s mission and objectives are available at www.usnaout.org/mission. For more information about USNA Out, visit www.usnaout.org or email pao@usnaout.org.

–USNA Out–

Continue reading “4/15/2012 – Naval Academy LGBT Alumni Honor Class of 2012”

2012 – USNA Out and the USNA Foundation

USNA Out members,

The first objective of our group is to become visible to alumni, midshipmen, classmates, other officers, and the public. To achieve that objective, we have long considered the value of increased visibility from donating to the Naval Academy Foundation. A USNA Out goal in 2011 was to make a Foundation to Foundation gift at the President’s Circle level ($2,500). Through the generosity of our members and significant efforts of a few to secure corporate grants, we raised enough funds to support our operations and make a gift to the USNA Foundation a reality.

A Foundation to Foundation gift is a significant step for our organization and you, the members, will determine how we proceed. That is why I am asking each of you to vote on whether or not USNA Out should make a donation and (if yes) what initiative we should fund.

Your perspective as a member is important. You can read the previous membership discussions open to all USNA Out members at http://usnaout.org/2012-usna-foundation-membership. In addition, you can read “Pro” and “Con” positions on this page.

Continue reading “2012 – USNA Out and the USNA Foundation”

10/4/2011 – Blue Alliance is USAFA Newest “Official” Affinity Group

Linda Postenrieder USNA ’82 and Steve Clark Hall USNA ’75 were the first two at USNA to learn the news. Chatting with the USAFA AOG CEO William “T” Thompson in Annapolis, Steve asked if he had ever heard of the Blue-Alliance. “T” grinned and said “They are our newest official affinity group at USAFA and they are having their annual event in my building next month.” “T” went on to say that this came after a lumpy beginning involving another outside organization. The Blue-Alliance is the first Academy LGBT Alumni group to be officially recognized by their respective alumni association. BRAVO ZULU Blue-Alliance!

Continue reading “10/4/2011 – Blue Alliance is USAFA Newest “Official” Affinity Group”

9/20/2011 – A Day to Remember

At midnight tonight (EDT) a new era for LGBT service in the military begins. No words can effectively express the special significance this end has to each and every one of us. I will spend the evening at the Stonewall Inn with close and new friends alike. Whether you participate in a joyous or just a quiet minute of reflection, enjoy the momentous occasion!!

Although a new beginning, the mission of USNA Out remains steadfastly the same, “Changing Minds & Lives of Alumni & Midshipmen.”

We have updated our website for this new age. The extensive revisions on our Gouge for Mids page were a very poignant reminder of how the policy was so horribly intertwined with the daily lives of midshipmen and junior officers. We still have a long way to go to achieve full equality and acceptance within the military, but change takes time and effort. I urge all of you to continue that effort, by remaining visible and active.

Many of our members are getting together Tuesday evening to celebrate, reflect and welcome in a new era. We have a list of locations of get-togethers on our website at http://usnaout.org/09202011-hats-dadt

Brian Bender
Chair, USNA Out, Inc.
http://usnaout.org/faces/brian

Continue reading “9/20/2011 – A Day to Remember”

9/20/2011 – Hats Off to DADT

Please join USNA Out members around the country as we join our friends to welcome in a new era beyond “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Please note that these events are open to all (typically 21 and over, however), you should have no expectation of privacy when you attend. It is also possible that there would be media coverage at some of these events.

Events are on Tuesday, 20 September 2011 unless otherwise noted.

See the full list of events around the country.

Continue reading “9/20/2011 – Hats Off to DADT”

Coming 3/27/2014 – OUT of ANNAPOLIS Goes Full Circle to the Annapolis Film Festival

We are excited that our documentary film OUT of ANNAPOLIS has been chosen to be a part of the 2014 Annapolis Film Festival (AFF)! With this screening, the film has gone full circle through the film festival circuit from the world premier in New York and the spectacular screening in the Castro Theatre of San Francisco in Frameline 33.

The screening of OUT of ANNAPOLIS will be at 3pm on Saturday, March 29, at the Compass Rose Theater, a 75 seat venue – intimate and a great setting for discussion. OUT of ANNAPOLIS is one of three films in an LGBT series which will also include The New Black and a documentary biographical portrait of Harris Glenn Milstead, the star actor of many films by Baltimore director John Waters, I Am Divine.

For more details about the Annapolis Film Festival, visit the Annapolis Film Festival Website


The OUT of ANNAPOLIS Project

the CASTRO MARQUEE

The largest study ever conducted about LGBT Officers in the United States Navy and an accompanying documentary film.

The “OUT of ANNAPOLIS” project began in summer 2008, an undertaking with every aspect of the project being performed by USNA Out members. The project includes both the largest study ever conducted of the LGBT Officers in the Navy and an accompanying 71 minute documentary film.

OUT of ANNAPOLIS chronicles the experiences of dozens of LGBT alumni – from diverse eras, backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and warfare specialties – all through interviews, live footage, photos, and supporting facts and figures. The film aims to educate by providing a factual and representative account of the Naval Academy and military experiences of LGBT alumni, both before and during the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The film is currently being exhibited in selected film festivals in markets throughout the United States.

The “OUT of ANNAPOLIS” Study provided an in-depth look at who the LGBT alumni are as a group. This summary represents considerations from more than 200 alumni to date.

The most important finding in the study:

The overwhelming majority of those Midshipmen, former Midshipmen and alumni who now identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender did not identify as such when they entered the service. They were “on their own” to go through the “coming out process” while in the close quarters and sometimes unwelcoming environment of the Naval Academy or the fleet, with little resources and few others like themselves with whom they could confide.

Continue reading “Coming 3/27/2014 – OUT of ANNAPOLIS Goes Full Circle to the Annapolis Film Festival”

4/30/2011 – Top Ten Questions asked at the Tier III DADT Repeal Training

“When will the repeal actually happen?” (answer: )

“How will USNA enforce the ‘open door’ policy for rooms with same sex couples?” (answer: “can’t”)

“Can gays get married in the Chapel?” (Answer: “No” …. well… not yet)

“What if a male midshipman wants to wear women’s clothes?” (answer: “this is addressed in Uniform Regs”)

“Can two dudes kiss each other on the pier when a ship departs and returns from deployment like the straight service members can kiss their spouses or girlfriends/boyfriends?” (answer: “Yes, get used to it.”)

Continue reading “4/30/2011 – Top Ten Questions asked at the Tier III DADT Repeal Training”

2011 USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees Election

USNA Out asked all four candidates a few questions pertaining on how they envision USNA Out can better serve the Naval Academy Alumni Association and the U. S. Naval Academy. All four candidates have responded, and we have placed their responses here on our homepage for all to read.

The candidates biographies are published on pages 33-34 of the January-February 2011 edition of SHIPMATE Magazine

the Candidates

Central Region (AL AR IL IA IN KS KY LA MI MN MO MS ND NE OH OK SD TN TX WI + Caribbean) ELECTION UNDER INVESTIGATION

  • CAPT USN (ret) Robert Jones ’64
  • LCOL USMCR (Ret.) Alex Plechash ’75
  • Write-in candidate Braxton Sisco ’95 (per §4.6(a) of USNA AA Bylaws)

    Eastern Region (CT DE FL GA MA ME NC NH NJ NY PA RI SC VT WV)

  • CAPT CEC USN (Ret.) Neil Block ’61
  • Jeff Webb ’95 <– ELECTED!

    If you reside in the Central or Eastern Region, you will receive a ballot via mail for the 2011 Board of Trustees election in late February. Ballots will be sent to regular USNA Alumni Association members as of 31 December 2010 byVR Election Services with complete voting instructions for mail, phone and internet options. USNA OUT thanks all USNA Alumni Association members in advance for participating in the process in support of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

    The election closes 14 April 2011 by 1700 Central Time.

    USNA Out members when logged into the website can see USNA Out’s analysis of the election in the right sidebar when viewing this page. None of the current candidates are members of USNA Out.

    Candidate Responses

    [status as of 072359Z MAR 11]

    Continue reading “2011 USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees Election”

  • 2/16/2011 – CNO at the Marine’s Club – San Francisco

    Many USNA Out members in the San Francisco Bay Area will be attending the George P. Shultz Lecture Series with Admiral Gary Roughead at the Marines’ Memorial Association at 5:30 pm on Wednesday 16 February 2011. Admiral Roughead is the 29th Chief of Naval Operations. He was in the 28th Company while a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, graduating with the Class of ‘73. Copy Berg ’74 and Steve Clark Hall ’75 were also in the 28th Company at the same time.

    Event Details and online registration.

    Continue reading “2/16/2011 – CNO at the Marine’s Club – San Francisco”

    John “Rip” Fliszar, USNA ’71 {1949 – 2010}

    John

    John “Rip” Fliszar USNA ’71 (L)
    with husband Mark Ketterson

    Many of us noted the obituary for John “Rip” Fliszar USNA ’71 in the November Shipmate Magazine written by his husband, Mark Ketterson. Although we never had the pleasure of meeting John, we placed his name on our in memoriam page here at USNA Out dot org. As we were simultaneously attempting to reach out to Mark, he contacted to us after he stumbled across our website. His poignant note to us is quoted:

    I stumbled upon USNA OUT quite by accident and saw Rip (John) listed. I had no idea this site existed; nor did he, and I am sick over that as it would have meant the world to him. I have indeed read through it, and it’s amazing.

    [ … read more…]

    Continue reading “John “Rip” Fliszar, USNA ’71 {1949 – 2010}”

    USNA Out ceased operations in 2022. This website has been archived for historical purposes.

    USNA Pride, a Shared Interest Group of the US Naval Academy Alumni Association, now serves the community of proud LGBTQ+ and allied alumni.

    ©2003-2022;   USNA Out, all rights reserved.
    an independent 501(c)(3) Maryland Benefit Corporation and does not represent the US Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation or the US Naval Academy