A recent study by UF professor Bonnie Morad, in cooperation with the RAND Corp., a nonprofit research institution, revealed that veteran support for the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy has fallen sharply since it was introduced in 1993. By 2006, only about 40 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans supported it — down from 75 percent in 1993.
This is an important signal to those seeking a reversal of the policy, as the country clearly trends toward full acceptance of openly gay service members. Yet there is still resistance; this 40 percent figure could represent roughly a million active and reserve service members and overshadows the 28 percent who explicitly disagree with the policy (while 33 percent have no opinion or are unsure).
President Obama has shown little action on his campaign promise to end “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but he publicly renewed his vow to end it last month, according to The New York Times.
Just don’t ask him to tell you when. The president offered little in the way of a timetable during a speech before the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay advocacy group seeking a repeal of the policy.
Advocates also argue that Obama’s promises of cooperation with the Pentagon and with leaders in the House and Senate to repeal the policy still stand in contrast with 10 months of limited action (or in most cases, inaction) on issues affecting the gay community.
Yet Obama’s passionate affirmation of the need for change, accompanied by strong statements like “I will end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” produced roars from the crowd.
And after months of anxious waiting, changes could be just around the corner. Legislative initiatives are making headway, as a bill was recently introduced in the House to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and a similar bill may soon be introduced by Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Senate (can we count Lieberman as bi-partisan support yet?).
According to CBS, the policy may be repealed as an amendment to the 2011 Defense Department budget bill.
Rep. Barney Frank, the first openly gay congressman, supports this tactic, as he likens the effort to the hate crimes amendments that extended protections to gay and lesbian people.
However Democratic policymakers choose to attack the issue, they better act fast. Resentment among the party’s liberal base is growing as campaign promises go unmet, and a number of activists are pursuing a financial boycott of the Democratic National Committee, the Obama campaign and other democratic organizations.
With waning military support for the policy, and with legislative openings to repeal it approaching fast, we wonder: Who cares if openly gay soldiers serve in the military? The majority of the American people don’t. Even a majority of self-described conservatives support open service for gays in the military, according to a 2008 Washington Post poll.
Non-partisan groups like the American Medical Association have recognized the damaging effects the policy has on gay service members and the Military. The AMA voted last week to join efforts to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” because of ethical dilemmas for gay service members and the doctors who treat them, according to The Associated Press.
It’s clearly time to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and, in doing so, recognize that it is rooted in the prejudice of a passed era.
