"Don't ask, don't tell" not working

Nearly one in four U.S. troops say they know for sure that someone in their unit is gay or lesbian and, of those, 59% relate that they learned about the person's sexual orientation directly from the individual, a University of California, Santa Barbara, poll of troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan shows. Some 55% of the troops who know a gay peer indicate that the presence of gays or lesbians in their unit is well known by others. According to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, service members are not allowed to "confess" that they are gay.

"This new data proves that thousands of gay and lesbian service members are already deployed overseas and are integrated, important members of their units. It is long past time to strike down 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and create a new policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve openly," declares Rep. Marty Meehan (D.-Mass.).

Twenty-one percent claim they know for sure that someone in their combat unit is gay or lesbian, slightly less than for those in combat support (25%) and combat service support (22%). Some 20% in other units assert they know for certain someone in their division is gay or lesbian. Overall, 45% indicate there are people in their unit they suspect are gay or lesbian, but they do not know for sure. Indeed, 52% affirm they have received training on the prevention of anti-gay harassment in the past three years, although 40% declare they have not received this type of training, which is mandated by Department of Defense policy.

The data suggests that military attitudes about homosexuality have shifted. In the early 1990s, many senior officers argued that U.S. troops could not form bonds of trust with gays and lesbians, recounts Aaron Belkin, director of UCars Palm Center. However, the new numbers show that nearly three in four troops maintain they personally are comfortable in the presence of gays and lesbians. Of the 20% who confirm they are uncomfortable around gays and lesbians, only five percent are "very" uncomfortable. Just two percent of troops say knowing that gays are not allowed to serve openly was an important reason in their decision to join the military.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning