Troops Not Nearly As Homophobic As Some People Think They Are

A leak from a forthcoming Pentagon study of ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell reveals that the troops don’t give a shit about serving with the gays. Will John McCain clap his hands over his ears and singsong again?

Here’s what was leaked to NBC News: the majority of troops surveyed do not care about living with and serving alongside gays and lesbians. A minority said they would quit if there was homosexual contamination (not their actual words) in the armed forces.

What would have happened if a majority said they did care? Well, this is why rights shouldn’t be put to a vote, particularly when the top brass already has said Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is discriminatory and has nothing but negative effects on troop morale, but luckily that’s not a problem we have to deal with in this instance.

Obama’s meeting at the White House earlier this week with DADT was closed-door, but it was understood that the focus would be legislative appeal during the lame-duck session in December, which would be just after the official release of the report. In the meantime, the 9th Circuit is ruling today on whether the court-mandated injunction against DADT’s enforcement will hold.

Filibuster-happy John McCain, who has said over and over again that he wants to hear the results of the Pentagon study because then he’ll oppose discrimination in the military, is about to have to keep his word. Not something he’s been that good at lately. Never mind that he forgot that he himself said he’d strongly consider supporting a repeal if top military officials supported it…which they now do. So somehow I think he’s going to come up with a new version of I can’t hear you when presented with the facts, as he did in this video.

Most Troops Wouldn’t Oppose Serving With Gays, Survey Finds [WP]
Earlier: Why Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Won’t Just End Right Now