Soldier's Girl

 While a few viewers have pegged the film’s plot as pro-military, Pickard disagrees. “People who haven’t really considered the issue before think gay people are automatically antimilitary,” she says. “Some think that people who have been discharged from the military are out there doing crazy things, making out with people, causing problems, and doing it for the attention. That’s obviously not the case. In our film, Alex just wants to fight for her country.”

Mostly, though, early response has been positive. “People I’ve spoken with really liked the film,” Pickard says. “People who were in the service have thanked us for making it. People who still are say this film gives them a voice they can’t have because they’re still in uniform.”

The film’s subject matter dovetails nicely with Pickard’s own passions. She recalls that though she used to fantasize about marrying another girl when she was a child, she didn’t realize she was gay until her freshman year at Boston’s Emerson College. Yet throughout high school she was very active in LGBT issues. “Homophobia in general pissed me off and I was very vocal about it,” she says. “My mom was always asking me if I thought I was gay and I was like, ‘No, not at all.’ I honestly didn’t think I was gay. I was not attracted to women at that time. But I just didn’t understand why anyone would be against gay rights.”

After graduating with a BFA in film direction, Pickard moved to Los Angeles, where she now lives with her girlfriend, whose name she prefers not to divulge. For now, Pickard is working on directing short films and enjoying her acting debut. “It’s not something I ever thought I’d be doing,” she says. “But I’m happy to be involved in the community in such a positive way.”