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Over 70% of the Military Says…Let Gays Serve Openly

Posted by: 2nd Class Soldier on August 17, 2010.

Back in early July 2010, the Pentagon’s Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG) sent out 400,000 surveys to active duty and reserve military members. The survey asked a series of questions, the goal of which was to help the Pentagon formulate the necessary policy and evaluate the impact of possible repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT)- the ‘law’ that prohibits open military service by gays and lesbians. Recipients of the survey had until August 15th, 2010 to complete the survey online. As noted by Leo Shane III (Stars and Stripes) and other reporters, only 27.5% of the recipients completed the more than 100-question survey. In simple terms, 72.5% of the survey recipients just don’t care about repeal of DADT. If the recipients of the survey cared about repeal, pro or con, they had approximately six weeks to express that concern but chose not to do so. From the straight military personnel I’ve talked to who completed the survey, many of them also don’t care about repeal. While I have no doubt at all that there are opponents of repeal in uniform, most people in and out of the service support the right of gays to openly serve and defend this nation in uniform.

The only thing worse than a bad survey is a bad survey no one fills out.

There were several contentious questions in the survey and any specific responses will not be publicly available until December 1st, 2010. Senator Levin recommended on July 13th that the survey results not be made public, ever. Whether responses to individual questions are disclosed or not, I do not envy Secretary Gates having to defend this process in front of Congress or the US taxpayers. Aside from several of the questions being insulting and demeaning to gays and lesbians, the Pentagon spent an estimated $4.4 million to hear the proverbial survey crickets chirp. After the 150,000 surveys are sent to the spouses of military personnel in the days ahead, the Pentagon will have ‘surveyed’ over half-a-million people. With the uniformed member portion of this process finished, which was the important part, the Pentagon spent a lot of money to prove that open service by gays and lesbians is not an issue of concern to them. Putting the scientific polls aside that showed a majority of Americans and veterans had no problems with open service by gays, numerous options were available to the Obama Administration to save the taxpayers this time and money. Even still, the Pentagon steamed ahead and gave the brief illusion that military personnel could influence the future of the proposed policy change. With the passing of the August 15th deadline, the military members have tossed what was a political hot potato back into the laps of the military leadership, now resembling more of a cold french fry.

The silence is deafening.

It is great that the largest employer in the US Government asked its employees for their views on a serious policy change. What is unfortunate is they spent a lot of time and money to prove what most people already knew- our military is the greatest in the world and can handle any task it is given. One day the elected leadership of this nation will realize what the majority of the nation has already told them- gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in uniform. Even today, commenters around the blogosphere continue to claim that repealing DADT will weaken our military; they couldn’t be more wrong! Repealing 10 USC 654, the law that lead to DADT, will increase the strength and ability of our Armed Forces and our soldiers know it. Gay and lesbian military personnel will be able to be open and true to themselves and their colleagues for the first time without fear of reprisal. While spousal rights and partner benefits are not going to come immediately, repeal of DADT will be a great step in the right direction towards equality and living up to the principles upon which our nation was founded. Our opponents will continue to fight, much like they are doing with Proposition 8 in California, but in this battle, the majority has spoken. 290,000 out of 400,000 men and women in uniform had the chance to speak on this matter and they chose to let their silence speak for them. It is long overdue for the Administration and Congress to do the right thing- stop the discharges and officially repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.