The “don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy is the theme of this fall’s national Coming Out Month events planned by USC’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center, and a Oct. 19 screening of a new documentary on the subject will be one of the month’s signature events.

The documentary, titled Patriots, directed by Steve Gratwick MSW ’05, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. in Rm. 108 of the Lucas Building. Admission is free, and there will be a Q & A session with the filmmakers following the screening.

Gratwick, a social worker and past president of the USC Lambda Gay & Lesbian Alumni Association, was one of the speakers at an Oct. 3 candlelight vigil in front of Tommy Trojan that was sponsored by Lambda. The vigil was held to honor military men and women fighting abroad but also to register disapproval of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Gratwick told those gathered that, since the policy took effect during the Clinton administration, more than 11,000 service men and women – “more than one battalion” – have been dismissed from a military that already is stretched thin. Since World War II, his research for the film revealed, about 115,000 gay service members have been forced to leave the military.

“This policy has resulted in a $310 million tax-payer loss” to the country in terms of lost training, expertise and legal expenses, Gratwick said.

Of the 1.1 million people currently serving in the U.S. military, he said, “a conservative estimate” is that about 65,000 are gay. Twenty-four foreign militaries currently allow and welcome gays, lesbians and bisexuals, he said, including allies such as Britain, Canada, Australia, France and Israel.

Due to Pentagon regulations, Gratwick was not able to interview soldiers on active duty for his documentary, but he filmed veterans, politicians and academic experts in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Washington, D.C. He has screened the 24-minute film for veterans’ groups, which have been supportive, he said.

Academy Award winners Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman of Telling Pictures, known for films such as The Times of Harvey Milk and Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt, are creative consultants on Patriots, as Gratwick and his film crew continue filming a feature-length version.

Other upcoming events for USC Coming Out month include a “National Coming Out and Ally Day Celebration” at the Health Sciences campus main quad at noon on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, a “Don’t Ask, Just Dance” event at Café 84 at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 and a LGBT career panel discussion at 7 p.m. on Oct. 23 in the Trojan Presentation Room in the basement of the Student Union. All events are open to students, faculty, staff and alumni.