Alumni Documentary Film Returns to Annapolis

The Naval Academy English Department hosted a screening April 25 in Mahan Hall of “Out of Annapolis,” a documentary film originally released in 2010 about gay and lesbian alumni of the Naval Academy.

The film was directed by Naval Academy alumnus retired Cmdr. Steve Clark Hall, a member of the Class of 1975.

“Out of Annapolis” tells the stories of eleven gay and lesbian alumni and how their sexuality related to life at the academy and in the fleet during the 1970s, '80s and '90s. These alumni were first linked together by an independent gay and lesbian alumni group called USNA Out and later interviewed for “Out of Annapolis” by the film’s director.

In many cases, the profiled alumni shared how several of their shipmates and classmates were supportive, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Five of the alumni featured in the film attended the recent showing at the academy. One of the alumni featured, who taught in the English Department as a lieutenant during his active duty service, was happy to reunite with some of his former department colleagues during the showing.

The audience in Mahan Hall was sizeable, with approximately 250 midshipmen, faculty and staff in attendance. Also in attendance were the midshipmen in the course entitled “Gender Matters,” a sociology class taught by Professor Judy Rosenstein of the Leadership, Ethics and Law Department.

"I was surprised at how positive the film was about the Naval Academy,” said Midshipman 1st Class Bryen Roder, a member of the “Gender Matters” class. “That was a common theme I took away from the documentary."

As an example of this theme, the concluding scenes of the documentary showed clips of the eleven alumni proclaiming how proud they are to be academy alumni and how their respective lives were positively shaped by the Naval Academy.