Drawn from three decades of gay and lesbian alumni from the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, “OUT of ANNAPOLIS” tells the story of what it is like to live in the close quarters of the Academy and to serve in “the Fleet” as a gay or lesbian officer.

The story explores the experiences of eleven alumni who are a representative cross section of more than 300 LGBT Annapolis alumni. Most did not identify as gay or lesbian when they entered the Academy, or even four years later when they graduated. Some were engaged to get married after graduation. Some actually did marry. All had an enduring struggle throughout their “coming out” process, typically in lonely isolation, feeling they were “the only one” and having no means to safely find or meet others without jeopardizing their naval careers.

Remarkably, despite the constant challenges present in coming out to themselves and serving in the U. S. Navy and U. S. Marine Corps as a gay or lesbian officer, these alumni still have a strong and enduring bond to the Academy which played such a crucial role in their professional and personal development ⎯ a bond which remains a significant part of their lives today.

While “OUT of ANNAPOLIS” does not specifically address itself to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, the experiences of these eleven LGBT alumni make clear that current and former laws concerning gays in the military have had and continue to have a damaging and detrimental effect on the lives of those who find themselves compelled to serve in silence.