By Julian Martin
In:Site Staff Reporter

A Vassar student protests the "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell" policy outside the U.S. Armed Forces recruiting center in Times Square. Photo courtesy of ITVS.

To “Perry’s” fellow service members he is just another American soldier. However, unbeknownst to those serving alongside him, everything from the way he speaks to stories about past girlfriends has been carefully created to blend in — and hide — a secret so significant that if found out it could end the soldier‘s military career without hesitation.

Forced to use a pseudonym and conceal his identity, “Perry,” would be discharged for ever revealing himself as being gay. Under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, gays and lesbians can be legally denied from joining (or being in) the armed forces for simply being open about their sexual orientation.

Johnny Symons’s latest documentary film “Ask Not” vividly explores the effects of this act and argues the policy has not only disrupted the lives of many gay citizens, but has actually harmed the American military.

The fast-paced film is both entertaining and thought-provoking, and offers viewers an insightful look at a growing movement. While the film is clearly against the policy, it also offered the opinions of those who are in favor of the law (including an interview with Professor Charles Moskos who wrote the policy), which surprisingly seemed to add even more weight to arguments made against DADT.

By focusing on the individual stories and relationships personally affected by DADT, Symons presents a film that everyone can enjoy, regardless of sexual orientation or political beliefs. Previous knowledge of DADT is also not required as background information is offered throughout the film.

Soulforce’s Right to Serve protest in New York City. Photo courtesy of ITVS.

A mix of historical footage, news clips and personal stories, “Ask Not” backs up its claims with a series of facts for the viewer (scattered creatively throughout), and interviews with everyone from retired American military generals to congressmen who have shown support for overturning the policy.

Gay or bisexual Americans are currently allowed to serve in the military so long as there is not any indication that they are anything but heterosexual. The law also prevents the military from asking recruits if they are gay, although anyone who engages (or admits to) any homosexual act can be discharged for acting  in a way that “negatively affect[s] the good order and disciple” of the unit.

While this is a significant change from previous military policies that made it completely illegal for homosexuals to serve, many gay rights organizations in the film argue that it is still a long way towards full equality for gay Americans.

Throughout the film, several of the more than 12,000 service members who have been discharged because of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” spoke out against the ban. Activists often emphasized two of the many consequences of the policy that go unnoticed: How the law has affected the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One former service member in the film (who, as a stereotypically-looking soldier, seemed to defy conventions all on his own), describes how he was dismissed shortly after 9/11, even though he was fluent in Arabic, when his superiors found out  he was gay. The film perfectly conveys the emotional impact the discharge has on the soldier in a way that makes the viewer feel strongly connected to the service member’s loss.

The soldier’s story was echoed by other veterans during the film, and with Lt. Dan Choi’s recent coming out on The Rachel Maddow Show on March 19 (and subsequent discharge), the stories seemed to make even more of an impact with each telling.

The most powerful segment came with an up-close look at the aforementioned American soldier “Perry,” and his journey from the friendly streets of San Francisco to the battlefields of Iraq.

Comparisons are quickly made in the film to previous civil rights changes, especially the integration of African American soldiers into the U.S. military.

However, one of the greatest similarities between the opposition to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and other causes seemed to be the level of youth involvement, from high school students protesting outside recruiting centers (only to be taken away by police) to undergraduates touring universities around the country to promote understanding of gays in the military.

This film was screened on May 9 at  SIFF Cinema in Seattle. “Ask Not” premieres on PBS on June 16.