Don't Ask, Don't Tell

by Jeff Sheng

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Volume 1" is the first ever photobook featuring the portraits and stories of closeted service members in the United States armed forces who are still currently serving and affected by the laws that mandate the discharge of openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-identified soldiers in the United States military. In 2009, American artist Jeff Sheng gained the trust of seventeen service members and flew over 30,000 miles back and forth across the United States to photograph these individuals at either their homes or local hotel rooms near where they were stationed. An entirely self-funded and self-published project, the resulting 40-page full color publication features twenty portraits from these photo shoots, along with selected anonymous e-mails detailing the experiences of these soldiers, many of whom have just returned from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Volume 1," also features an afterword written by an openly gay veteran of the Vietnam War, W.M. Hunt, a New York City based photography dealer, art collector and gallery director of Hasted Hunt Kraeutler, in the Chelsea art district of New York City.

First published January 1, 2010