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    The Camouflage Closet: LGBT Veteran Educational Resource

    Video Length: 44 minutes

    Description:
    This curriculum was created as an accompaniment to The Camouflage Closet, a short documentary film about trauma and recovery among nine Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Veterans. The film was created as a community-based participatory art project with the goal of increasing awareness among medical providers, Veterans, and LGBT communities regarding their unique experiences of serving under LGBT-related military policies, such as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) and the current ban on transgender military service. At this time, The Camouflage Closet has screened at a variety of venues including the National Queer Arts Festival, the San Francisco Veterans Film Festival, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Stanford University, and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA). Audience feedback at these screenings has suggested that prior to seeing this film, viewers felt they had limited knowledge about LGBT Veterans. It is our hope that the foregoing curriculum will support a deeper understanding of the needs and strengths of LGBT Veterans. Director, Michael Nedelman, and Producer, Heliana Ramirez authored The Camouflage Closet: LGBT Veteran Educational Resource. Composer, Andrew V. Ly, wrote and conducted the accompanying arrangements. For more information please visit the film's website or Facebook page.

    Additional Materials 

    Learning Objectives:
    After viewing this video, the learner will be able to:

    • To review the experiences of 9 LGBT Veterans who served in the U.S. Military prior to, during, and after Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
    • To analyze the experiences of trauma faced by LGBT Service Members such as Military Sexual Trauma and the sources of strength and resilience they use in their recovery.
    • To comprehend the effects of said traumas by listening to LGBT Veterans describe their experiences living with PTSD, depression, and substance abuse.
    • To describe the benefits LGBT Veterans experience from art therapy and group work.
    • To identify health disparities facing LGBT Veterans as described in social science research, themes of LGBT Veteran strength and resilience, and resources available to clinicians serving this population (i.e., resources for clinicians and peer support for LGBT Veterans).

    Authors:
    Heliana Ramirez, LISW, PhD Candidate
    University of California, Berkeley

    Andrew V. Ly, PhD Candidate
    University of California, Berkeley

    Michael Nedelman, MD Candidate
    Stanford University School of Medicine