Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2008

As the United States military faces chronic recruiting shortfalls and the loss of highly skilled service members, politicians and pundits have begun to reevaluate the controversial policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” that blocks homosexuals from serving openly in the military. Of the 26 countries in the NATO alliance, only Portugal, Greece, Turkey, and the United States ban gay people from serving in the military, while openly gay personnel from allied nations serve alongside American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Current and veteran gay soldiers—including Seattle local Alan Steinman, cofounder of the Puget Sound chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights—tell how the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy affected them during their tours of duty as they struggled to serve their country and maintain a double life. ASK NOT also follows gay veterans and youth organizers as they engage in civil activism, from a national speaking tour of conservative universities to protests at military recruitment offices.