U.S. Defense Department Survey on Gays in Military: July 7, 2010

On July 7, 2010 the U.S. Defense Department sent out to 400,000 service members a survey asking about gay men and lesbians in the military. Here is the story as covered in Stars and Stripes, the independent newspaper published within the U.S. Department of Defense.

Pentagon mails out DADT surveys

By LEO SHANE III

Stars and Stripes

Published: July 8, 2010

Defense Department officials e-mailed their long-awaited "don't ask, don't tell" survey to about 400,000 servicemembers Wednesday afternoon in an effort to better gauge how troops will react to an impending repeal of the ban on openly gay troops in the ranks. Half of the group is active-duty troops, while the rest were sent to guard and reserve e-mails.

Pentagon officials would not release details of the lengthy survey to reporters, saying they did not want to influence troops' reactions to the questions. Military Times released details of an earlier draft of the survey Wednesday night, noting that the questions focused heavily on how working alongside openly gay troops would affect teamwork, individual performance, mission completion and overall morale.

Since May, defense researchers have welcomed anonymous online comments about the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" law, and next month they're expected to send a similar e-mail survey to military spouses and dependents to chart their opinions on the law.

Democratic leaders in Congress, the president and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have already committed to repealing the law early next year. By the surveys, combined with other reports being assembled by a review panel in coming months, are designed to help military leaders see potential stumbling blocks associated with the change, and what other policies (housing, benefits, etc.) may need to be updated.

Military officials said information on the surveys will be collected anonymously, but gay rights groups have warned that the "don't ask, don't tell" law is still in effect and closeted troops should be cautious about how they respond to any such requests. In a statement, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network director Aubrey Sarvis said "there is no guarantee of privacy, and DOD has not agreed to provide immunity to service members whose privacy may be inadvertently violated or who inadvertently outs himself or herself."

Earlier this year, Gates outlined stricter standards for how gay troops can be booted from the ranks, but any servicemember who publicly admits their homosexuality can still face dismissal.

If you've received a copy of the survey, let us know about it -- e-mail me at shanel@stripes.com. We promise to keep your identity secret.

Read through the Pentagon's DADT survey

By LEO SHANE III

Stars and Stripes

Published July 9, 2010

Officials from the Palm Center, a gay rights research arm of the University of California, today released a copy of the 100-plus question "don't ask, don't tell" survey being sent to 400,000 servicemembers. A copy of those questions is linked at the end of this post.

Defense Department officials have maintained that the goal of the survey is to gauge possible problems or confusion with plans to repeal the controversial 1993 law, but not to provide opposition to such a move. At a press conference Thursday Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said the law "needs to be changed" regardless of what the survey shows.

Results from the questionnaire aren't expected to be released publicly until the end of the year. Questions range from general inquiries about troop morale and teamwork to specifics like "Do you currently serve with a male or female servicemember you believe to be homosexual?" and "If DADT is repealed, how will your military career plans be affected?"

Click on the PDF below to see the rest of the survey.

UPDATE: Servicemembers United is blasting the questions as "flawed and biased." That includes: "an overwhelming focus on the potential negative aspects of repeal and little or no inclusion of the potential positive aspects of repeal or the negative aspects of the current policy" and "the repeated and unusual suggestion that a co-worker or leader might need to 'discuss' appropriate behavior and conduct with gay and lesbian troops."

Gays In The Military Study: Most U.S. Troops, Families Say Gays OK

AP/The Huffington Post First Posted: 10-28-10 11:30 PM | Updated: 10-29-10 10:40 PM

WASHINGTON — An internal Pentagon study has found that most U.S. troops and their families don't care whether gays are allowed to serve openly and think the policy of "don't ask, don't tell" could be done away with, according to officials familiar with its findings.

The survey results were expected to be used by gay rights advocates to bolster their argument that the 1993 law on gays could be repealed immediately with little harm done to the military. But the survey also was expected to reveal challenges the services could face in overturning the long-held policy, including overcoming fierce opposition in some parts of the military even if they represent a minority.

Details on the survey results were still scarce Thursday, with the Pentagon declining to discuss the findings until after Dec. 1 when it rolls out its own plan for repeal.

The officials who disclosed the survey's findings spoke on condition of anonymity because the results had not been released.

NBC News' Richard Engel first reported the findings Thursday [October 28, 2010], and appeared that evening on "The Rachel Maddow Show."

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