the organization of LGBT Naval Academy Alumni & Allies
opening title sequence
OUT of ANNAPOLIS has been selected to screen at Frameline34, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, June17th – 27th, 2010. OUT of ANNAPOLIS has been scheduled to run in the largest festival venue, the Castro Theater on Saturday, 26 June at 11:00 am.
We’ll update the film website at http://outofannapolis.com as the film is scheduled to be screen at various venues throughout the summer.
You can read some of the previous updates:
Hello Members of USNA Out,
I’m excited to send the first newsletter of 2010 updating you on the many activities underway at USNA Out. We’ve been busy over the last winter – welcoming new members and board members, setting goals and dates, placing an ad in Shipmate, wrapping up a documentary, sadly mourning the loss of a member, and joining the Facebook and Twitter communication revolution!
And to think Spring has only just arrived!
Welcome Aboard!
“Welcome Aboard” to the thirteen new USNA Out members who have joined us in the first three months of 2010! For those of you who have not logged onto our website recently, you will notice that we now have an “online roster” viewable by verified members who are logged onto the site. Thank you for posting your member info and uploading your photos, too. If you note classmate, teammates or friends who are notably absent from our roster, please have them join us at http://usnaout.org/join. The “Faces of USNA Out” program continues, and a few new members’ profiles have been recently added. Become a role model for those who follow in our foot steps. Consider adding your personal USNA story to the collection of those already there.
If you are one of the few who have not registered at our website, you won’t be able to see some of these links provided in this update, but you can register at http://usnaout.org/join
Board of Directors
Welcome to Heather Davies ’93 who just joined the USNA Out, Inc. Board of Directors. Any member of USNA Out who is willing to bring some talent, skill or energy to the organization is eligible to serve on the USNA Out Board of Directors. The reality in organizations such as ours is those who desire to get more involved will get more involved.
Our Goals for 2010
The Board of Directors for USNA Out, Inc, was established in December 2009 and has been meeting monthly. Achievable goals for this first year under the our new organization structure include:
Do you have ideas for goals you believe USNA Out should pursue this year? The board would like to know! Please email greer@usnaout.org with your ideas. Complete minutes of the board meetings are available for review on the USNA Out Members Only Tab.
USNA Out, Inc., 501(c)(3) Status
Our application to the IRS for a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status for USNA Out, Inc, was submitted at the end of 2009. We were given “conditional approval” in January 2010 and expect to receive our “final approval” from the IRS later this month. This status will allow USNA Out, Inc, to make a positive contributions to support the Mission of the US Naval Academy. The social and networking aspects of USNA Out fall outside the purview of USNA Out, Inc. and hence will remain non tax-deductible, however our true operating costs are basically non-existent covered through the volunteer work of our members as a team.
May-June SHIPMATE
USNA Out has placed this congratulatory note to the Class of 2010 for publication in the May-June SHIPMATE:
Publication costs for this one-half page announcement were paid from “prospective profits” from our documentary feature OUT of ANNAPOLIS and not from any USNA Out nor USNA Out, Inc. funds.
“OUT of ANNAPOLIS” Update
I know Steve Hall ’75 is busy beyond belief in the final post production efforts to get the documentary film about us into the can. OUT of ANNAPOLIS has been entered into a select group of LGBT film festivals. We will make an announcement when we know the opening date and the schedule of screenings. The opening sequence is available for members to view on line at http://usnaout.org/mo/ooa/opening. A big thanks for Heather Davies ’93 for providing such spectacular songs for the score of the film. Funding for this important project has come from sources outside of USNA Out and not from USNA Out funds. 122 of 198 invited took the “OUT of ANNAPOLIS Study” on the first round, I congratulate you on your great participation! The study, which is part of the story presented in the film, is expected to be completed by the end of this month. Any questions about the study, contact steve@usnaout.org.
Hubert Dorsett ’66 passing
It’s with great sadness that I report the passing of a long time USNA Out member, Hubert Dorsett ’66. His obituary appears in the March-April SHIPMATE. I encourage all of you to read Hubert’s own words which are on his Faces of USNA Out profile page at http://usnaout.org/hubert.
Join us on Facebook!
Keep up with USNA Out on a real time basis by becoming a Fan of USNA Out on Facebook! Big thanks to Eric Shangle ’97 for taking the lead on this highly visible outlet for others to see who we really are.
I am eager to hear your thoughts and feedback. Please contact me at Brian@usnaout.org or the board at Board@usnaout.org.
Go Navy!
Brian
[USNA Out members please read the Members Newsletter Addendum too!]
Continue reading “4/7/2010 – the USNA Out Spring ’10 Newsletter (a publication without a name, yet)”
Annapolis, Maryland – USNA Out Chair Brian Bender ’93 attended this year’s Outreach Conference February 26-28. The title of this year’s conference was “Answering the Call: Encouraging STEM Education for the Next Generation.” The conference had a split theme this year: Strategic Outreach review and recruiting future midshipmen and officers with aptitude in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
MORE THAN 115 of 190 for whom we had email addresses have already taken part in the current study!
We learned some really eye-opening things about ourselves when we began gathering information last year as part of establishing the profile of the typical LGBT Annapolis Alumnus. But our numbers have grown significantly since the “Out of Annapolis” trailer hit YouTube last year. The “revaildation” of the survey will allow for many more of the members to participate as well as discover or confirm other key facts about the alumni as a group that had not been previously considered. The revalidation will also continue to ensure the data are squeaky clean.
Here are some of the facts that we know about ourselves as a group. This is the information that we will fine tune through the revalidation:
Less than one in every eight of us LGBT USNA alumni had fully “accepted” our sexual identity as LGBT before we took the oath of office to enter the military. Many had no idea what they were going to face in the future as they reidentified as LGBT at Annapolis, in the Fleet or later in life. For classes prior to 2000, twenty percent actually got married not fully realizing at the time it wasn’t right for them, and later ended those marriages.
LGBT alumni enter into individual warfare specialities at the same proportions as their straight peers. But the Marine Officers on the whole are the ones who have the most difficult time coming to grips with their sexuality. Even when “Don‘t Ask, Don‘t Tell” ends, DADT is still going to be the way of life in the Marine Corps, no Marine alumni intend on changing. All of the known suicides of LGBT alumni were Marine Officers.
Those who did identify as LGBT when they entered had a different set of challenges to face, but they were more likely to serve out their commitments. Less than one-percent felt that their LGBT status had put them into a position to be blackmailed by a co-worker.”
The various data are included throughout the film as it relates to individual members as they tell their stories.
If you are an LGBT alumni of USNA (alumni means took oath of office as a midshipman, whether or not you graduated) and would like to participate, please contact the study director here at USNA Out.
Continue reading “2/9/2010 – “Out of Annapolis” Study undergoing “Expansion/Revalidation.””
For the most recent update, please see the OUT of ANNAPOLIS page.
opening title sequence
A lot of people continue to ask “where’s the film?” Here’s the latest update of where we are. This page will be updated frequently as we get closer to “Out of Annapolis” being “in the can.”
“Festival screeners” will be ready mid-February, 2010, and an “All-new” trailer and film website are expected to be launched on 1 March, 2010.
By 5 July, 2009, almost thirty individual filmed interviews were completed, with many others eager to participate. We were so overwhelmed with good stories that plans to film interviews in Southern California and Florida needed to be canceled to get the project into post production as soon as possible. The final shooting of “B-Roll” was wrapped up on October 13, 2009 in Annapolis. The film continues in “Post Production,” story line edit is locked, “cutaway material” and “B-Roll” materials are mostly inserted into the timeline to provide a visual picture to go along with the spoken word. Simultaneously, the soundtrack is being scored. Once all video tracks are totally completed, the film will be sent to the “colorist” who will make corrections to the video to ensure that the film colors look accurate for presentation on the big screen.
one of the “press kit” photos
A few still shots are still needed to be placed in the timeline as “cutaway” material. A list of these needs was emailed to the USNA Out membership late January. Although needed ASAP, late submissions will also be taken if the picture fits the spot.
Brian Wiechowski ’97 has taken on the task of “revalidating” some of the statistical information presented in the “Out of Annapolis” film. There has been keen interest in this information, initially gathered in 2008 when Steve Hall ’75 interviewed many of the USNA Out members to get an overall profile of who we are as a group. Some compiled results of the initial “study” are posted at http://outofannapolis.com/who. The data have been eye-opening. And since the “Out of Annapolis” trailer hit the street in January 2009, our numbers have grown significantly to more than 300 identified LGBT alumni, and we know there are many, many more of us out there still to be counted.
As a special treat for USNA Out members who are logged in, you can view the “opening sequence” which is complete (except for “coloring”). Also available to watch is the current version of the “credit roll” which is constantly being updated and will be finalized just prior to the first official screening.
Hubert G Dorsett ‘66
1940 – 2010
I first met Hubert when he came to stay with me and my family while I was house-sitting in Annapolis for two weeks in the summer of 2007. I invited all USNA Out members to visit, and he was one of many who accepted. I remember that something went awry with his travel plans from Florida, and he was not sure when he would arrive. Over at the Naval Academy touring around with my family and friends, I received a phone call that he was arriving soon at the house. I left the tour and headed back.
I had never met him before, but
Continue reading “1/29/2010 – Hubert G “Hubie” Dorsett { 1940 – 2010 }”
One of the accomplishments that USNA Out can put under their belt for 2009 was the completion of the 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Charitable and Educational Organization filing with the Internal Revenue Service. This was the logical follow up step to gaining our incorporation in the State of Maryland last fall. The application is lengthy with over 50 pages of attachments. Thanks to Steve Clark Hall ’75, who when the package was complete, helped do a page by page review to ensure nothing was missed. We are hoping that the application will be approved without requiring supplemental information.
. . .Anon
Jeff Petrie, USNA ’89
Jeff Petrie, Founder of USNA Out, has taken the helm as Chair of the Board of Directors of the joint Service Academy Gay & Lesbian Alumni Association (sagala.NET). The SAGALA mission is to provide a professional and social network for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual cadets, midshipmen and alumni who attended one of the five federal service academies. SAGALA was founded in 1993 and has grown to over 400 members from all five academies. Membership is restricted to those alumni.
Jeff was one of 35 founding members of USNA Out in 2003. In 2007, the “Blue Alliance” was formed as a support and education network that promotes dignity and respect for LGBT alumni of the United States Air Force Academy and their allies. A similar group of West Point alumni, “Knights Out,” became active in March, 2009.
Chairman Petrie’s term begins 1 January, 2010, and runs for one calendar year.
Continue reading “12/17/09 – USNA Out’s Jeff Petrie to Chair Joint Service Academy Association”
USNA Out’ers join Out Knights
and other SAGALA members
at the Army-Navy 2009 Tailgate
©2009 Jo Ann Santangelo photographer
Many of the usual suspects returned for Army-Navy 2009.
The weekend began at a “Welcome to Philly” reception at the home of USNA Out member Joe Soto. More than a dozen alumni from West Point, Annapolis and New London made it to town in time for the Friday night affair. Thank goodness for the late afternoon 14:30 kick-off time for the game.
USNA Out members chat with
PA Congressman Patrick Murphy
who stopped in at the tailgate.
©2009 Jo Ann Santangelo
photographer
This year, we thank the Knights Out of West Point for taking charge of orchestrating a great Tailgate brunch before the game. For the first time, the Army and Navy were represented in equal numbers.
A few USNA Out members made the trek to Philadelphia to join us for the first time. Braxton Sisco ’95 flew in from Dallas, Texas, bringing along his mother-in-law while his partner Robert finishes studying in the UK. An alumni from ’00, who first learned about USNA Out by googling “army navy gay tailgate” (it works, as usual) came down from New York with a friend.
An additional SF Bay Area Chapter/USNA Out game watching event was held at the North Star cafe in San Francisco. More coming when we have photos/reports.
Here’s what we know of so far. If you have more events that need to be added to this story, please contact our webmaster:
Philadelphia: USNA Out will be joining Knights Out at the Knights Out tailgate in the parking lot. Look for the Knights Out guidon & banner. There are other events on Friday and
USNA Out member (and director of our “Out of Annapolis” project) Steve Clark Hall ’75 is one of four USNA Alumni currently being featured in a media campaign as a part of the USNA Foundation’s End of Year Annual Giving Campaign.
Continue reading “11/13/09 – USNA Out Member Featured in USNA Foundation Campaign”
USNA Out Members,
Yesterday you received news from Jeff Petrie via email that USNA Out is in transition – making positive strides forward and organizing to even more effectively meet our shared objectives and mission.
Continue reading “11/11/2009 – Meet Brian Bender USNA ’93, 2010 Chairman of USNA Out”
OK folks,
I confess!
Almost five years ago at the the “Meeting of Friends” in San Francisco, the members of the newly formed USNA Out set a goal for ourselves to establish a 501(c)(3) status. This would allow USNA Out to accept gifts from individuals that could be tax deducible. At the “General Membership Meeting” held March 14, 2009, in Washington DC (with teleconferenced call-ins), there was a unanimous renewed interest to follow through on our four year long dream.
New Interactive Roster
Just as USNA Out was grown over the past six years, so has the content on our website. Thanks to the critical eye of USNA Out Board Secretary Eric Shangle ’97, content has just been reorganized to make material easier to find.
The best new feature is the new “Member Roster” — Viewable in Alfa Order! Searchable! Sortable! And complete with little thumbnail pics of our members. For registered USNA Out members only. The “Members Roster” will appear as the top “Inside USNA Out” menu item when you log into our website. Members are allow to share as much info about them as they desire, or can even “opt-out” of appearing on the roster all together.
Continue reading “11/03/2009 – USNA Out Website Reorganization”