With the legalization of gay marriages in D.C. and efforts by other states to get gay unions banned, gay rights have been in the news a lot lately, and now it's about to hit book stores.

Photographer Jeff Sheng’s new book “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a compilation of photos of gay soldiers. To protect their identity, Sheng obscured their faces and changed their names. This way, the participating soldiers took a stand against their injustice without risking being discharged. All pictured in uniform, the book shows America that sexuality does not determine ability to fight for the country.

The "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy restricts gay military personnel from openly expressing their homosexuality. By law, servicemen and women cannot be asked if they are gay, but once they reveal it, they are discharged. While it protects the privacy of sexuality, the policy is discriminatory in that it forces homosexuals to hide their sexual identity when serving our country.

The idea behind the policy is that open homosexuality would negatively affect the morale and cohesion of the troops, but studies demonstrate the opposite. In fact, the dismissal of hundreds of gays has weakened military readiness because of the loss in critical and intelligence-related positions. The number of servicemen and women has declined by 15% since last year because of the policy.

What can you do?

Follow these action tips on how to support gay rights!