Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates has completed his analysis of the so-called “don’t ask, don’t tell,” policy and concluded that repealing the policy would not have a negative effect on military effectiveness.
Secretary Gates has offered a reasoned approach to phase in the repeal over time and help service members accept the policy change.
The fact is, the day will come when gays will be allowed to serve in the military. It will come about through a policy change or through court ordered civil rights protections. It’s better to follow Secretary Gates’ carefully calibrated plan for lifting the ban than to react to an order from the U.S. Supreme Court.
The military’s eight-month study of the issue was thorough. It included the largest survey of military opinion ever — more than 115,000 soldiers, sailors and Marines. Taken as a whole, 70 percent of them said there would be no effect of lifting the ban which Congress codified during the administration of President Bill Clinton.
Seventy percent is a strong majority and formed the basis of Gates’ recommendation.
He acknowledged that the overwhelming support evaporated in combat units, however.
In those units, 48 percent of Army troops and 58 percent of Marines thought lifting the ban would have negative consequences. More than one-quarter of Army troops and more than one-third of Marines said they’d consider leaving the military if the ban were lifted.
Gates said that opposition is not insurmountable, but does require a careful implementation of the repeal.
Among the steps the military would take to mitigate possible negative effect should Congress repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” would be a more gradual implementation in deployed units so that commanders’ attention can remain focused on combat, and not on the training and education that the Pentagon says will be needed for successfully incorporating openly gay people into the services.
The Pentagon also is proposing limiting housing benefits to married heterosexual couples only, while other military benefits, such as health insurance, would be made available to same-sex partners of service members.
That’s a realistic approach.
It’s clear that Washington’s two U.S. senators — Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell — will do the right thing and vote to repeal the discriminatory policy against gays and lesbians.
Murray said: “This report gives us just one more reason among many to finally repeal don’t ask, don’t tell. We have heard the stories of the lives this policy has ruined, we have heard from top-ranking military officials that it simply doesn’t work, and now we have heard from service members that they too want it to change.”
Cantwell said the report makes clear that repeal of the policy would have no significant effect on the military and would not hinder ongoing U.S. military operations.
“The repeal is measured and responsible,” Cantwell said. “Secretary Gates has assured us that the pending legislation provides the Department of Defense with both the time and flexibility it needs to implement this important policy change.”
“We are engaged in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are dealing with a brewing crisis on the Korean peninsula,” she noted. “This is not a time for obstructionist tactics to be used to block consideration of legislation vitally important to our war fighters and the defense of our nation.”
The colleagues of Sens. Cantwell and Murray should follow their lead and the lead of 70 percent of service members and vote to end the discriminatory policy against gays and lesbians. Repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” will not have a negative effect on military readiness or operations.
In many ways, the military paved the way for the civil rights movement by desegregating units in 1948.
The military can clear the way for full civil rights protections for gays and lesbians by embracing the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
