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Don't Ask Don't Tell Hearing

On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee’s Personnel Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy regarding gay and lesbian servicemembers.  The Human Rights Campaign is pleased that the subcommittee held this hearing—the first hearing to review the policy since Congress passed the law in 1993. 

Since DADT was implemented in 1993, more than twelve thousand qualified members of the U.S. Armed Services have been discharged under the law.   A Government Accountability Office report found that by 2005, discharges of service members with mission-critical skills was nearing 800.  This means that hundreds of citizens possessing skills the military has identified as crucial for the success of current operations, such as intelligence analysts, have been forced out of our armed services.  Studies have estimated that the U.S. military loses more than 4,000 gay and lesbian military personnel each year whom it otherwise would have retained, had they been able to be open about their sexual orientation.  The personnel loss and financial costs hurt readiness and undermine our nation’s security. 

Since 1993, both the general public and military personnel have seen dramatic increases in support for open service of gays and lesbians.  A July 10-13 Washington Post/ABC News Poll found that 75% of the public believes that persons who do publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military.  This is an increase of 31 percentage points from the 44% who supported open service in 1993.  Similar increases in support are found within the military and veterans.  In a December 2006 Zogby poll (.pdf) of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan found that 73 percent of soldiers reported being “comfortable … in the presence of gays,” and only 37 percent opposed repealing the policy.   Furthermore, the Washington Post/ABC poll found that 50 percent of all veterans supported open service by gays and lesbians. 

Although the hearing was not held due to any specifically pending legislation, it is important to note that more than 143 Members of the House of Representatives are cosponsors of H.R. 1246, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, that would repeal DADT and allow gay and lesbians to serve openly and honestly.  

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