Our Time: Breaking the Silence of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

by Josh Seefried

Our Time marks the end of more than a decade of silence, giving voice to the LGBT men and women who served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” These individuals enlisted knowing that the military would ask them to bury an integral part of themselves and yet joined because of their deep belief that the values of the military were worth the tremendous sacrifice. Our Time shares their stories for the first time, revealing an intimate portrait of military life. Edited by air force officer Josh Seefried, a cofounder of the LGBT active duty military association OutServe, Our Time is a collection of remarkable depth and diversity. We witness the abuse—physical and mental—endured at the hands of fellow soldiers and superiors. We see the hardships faced by their families and partners and feel the pain of the choice between military and self. There are also examples of humanity at its very leaders with the courage to support their comrades in the face of tremendous pressure, friendships forged and minds opened, and love that endures the very toughest of odds. Throughout we are reminded of the bravery and selflessness of the men and women who chose to serve our country and defend our liberties while their own freedom was withheld. At once a testament to the wrongs of the policy and a celebration of the good that endured in spite of it, Our Time marks the start of a new era in our national history

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Ebooks

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2011

Reviews

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quick read, but worth it. Had numerous stories of military personnel (mostly Air Force for some reason, maybe because the author is former Air Force) relating their stories of how their service was affected by Don't Ask, Don't Tell--some were negative, but most were surprisingly positive. The only thing that annoyed me was his use of the acronym LGBT for those affected by DADT, when in reality only lesbian, gay and bisexual servicemembers were forced to stay silent. Transgender servicemembers still cannot serve openly, due to a completely different, medical regulation. The "T" in "LGBT" does not exist when talking about the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, so stop using it please. (At least he acknowledges in the introduction that the fight for equality in society and the military is not yet over for everyone.) Other than that, worth the read.

[Aida · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short articles written shortly after the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" act. Most of the writers were gay/lesbian and sharing their experiences in hiding a vital part of their lives while serving their country, but there were a few articles written by straight servicepeople as well. I only wished there had been stories from bisexual, transgender, or other people as well. It seemed strange that they had articles written by straight people but not the B and T or + of the acronym. Anyway, it opened by eyes to what it must be like to be gay in the military.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought as a gay woman that DADT was a step forward for my community.. after reading these stories I realized how much it truly did hurt the LGB community in the military. This is such a great read- even for someone like me who is anti-war and not a huge fan of the military.

[Kellylynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an important story to tell and a very quick read. Difficult at times, but absolutely worth it. It was good to read about the things that these service members had to go through. Was it right, what they had to go through? NO.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has some really awesome stories in it! I highly recommend.