Mid-course correction: ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ and Stargate SG-1 femslash

This article explores Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007, SciFi) fanfiction responses to the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ (DADT) policy of the United States Department of Defense. It examines 58 examples of femslash that depict a same-sex relationship between char- acters Samantha Carter and Janet Fraiser. It suggests that this fanfiction mirrors the evolving public debates regarding lesbians and gays in the military and critiques DADT in two ways. First, the femslash demonstrates that the television show repre- sents a realistic version of conditions under DADT. The second approach uses the science fiction elements of the series to critically comment on the assumptions behind DADT, such as unit cohesion based on compulsory heterosexuality. Sam/Janet femslash insists on the possibility of a valid lesbian existence within the US military and beyond.