At one year anniversary of the end of DADT--Pentagon Study Finds No Harm to Services

[12voltman59]

Today is the anniversary date of the end of the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy regarding the service of "gays" in the US military, a study commissioned by the Pentagon by a private contractor---finds that ending the policy and allowing "gays" to openly serve---have not done any of the negative things predicted by critics of the change.

http://www.palmcenter.org/

It is like in those states that have now had a year or so of "gay marriage"---the sky did not fall and civilization did not come to an end.

Maybe one day---reason and rationality will prevail on these issues and there will be almost nearly universal "same sex marriage" in most countries and all major militaries--if they have not already allowed at least GLB people to openly serve---they will come to do so.

[Gearbox]

We can fear and fret about changes all we like, but we never realy know if all the worry was necesarry untill we experience the change for a while. It's more worrying what crap we do accept. Lets worry about that.lol

[tenni]

Well, it does seem that the US is following other countries whose Human Rights laws and constitutions have dealt with such things as non heteros in the military. Hopefully, you are correct Voltie and your country will calm down to accept that "gays" and "bis" in the military do not change anything of negative significance in your society. If the US follows other countries' path, then same sex marriage will hopefully follow across your country and the US will be equal with other societies in being proactive for Human Rights of all citizens to be treated equally.

[Usmcbiker]

Even if there was was "harm", no official study will ever acknowledge it. The politically correct climate is too strong and the Pentagon is just as political as Congress.

[darkeyes]

Even if there was was "harm", no official study will ever acknowledge it. The politically correct climate is too strong and the Pentagon is just as political as Congress.
Whether a political study acknowledges it depends rather on the political complexion of the governing party and its honesty and integrity, its bigotry or lack thereof, whether it wishes to use homosexuality in the armed forces as a political football and vote catcher, and upon the prevailing climate in the wider society.. but as an aside, from Wikipedia (Sexual Orientation and Military Service)..

In 2010, following defeat of repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' by the United States Senate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate), the Colonel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_officer_rank_insignia) Mark Abraham, head of diversi (http://www.army.mod.uk/join/20225.aspx) for the British Army, told People Management magazine the lifting of the ban on gays serving in the military in 2000 had "no notable change at all... We got to the point where the policy was incompatible with military service and there was a lack of logic and evidence to support it... We knew a lot of gay and lesbian people were serving quite successfully, and it was clear that sexual orientation wasn’t an indication of how good a soldier or officer you could be... The reality was that those serving in the army were the same people the day after we lifted the ban, so there was no notable change at all. Everybody carried on with their duties and had the same working relationships as they previously had while the ban was in place" Colonel Abraham argues that the lifting of the ban actually made the armed forces more productive: "A lot of gay and lesbian soldiers who were in the army before the ban was lifted, reported that a percentage of their efforts was spent looking over their shoulder and ensuring they weren’t going to be caught. That percentage of time can now be devoted to work and their home life, so actually they are more effective than they were before."