New study examines effectiveness of military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy
Since 1980, the Department of Defense has discharged more than 25,000 soldiers and sailors due to homosexuality, including more than 11,000 since the 鈥淒on鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell, Don鈥檛 Pursue鈥� policy was enacted according to a report by the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military.
鈥淭he U.S. military argues that homosexuals are unfit for service because their presence compromises military readiness and unit cohesion,鈥� says Dr. Debbie Knapp, Kent State assistant professor of management and information systems.
In a new study that will be published this year in Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, Knapp examines the efficacy of the 鈥淒on鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell, Don鈥檛 Pursue鈥� policy. She finds that homosexuals are no more disruptive to military life than their heterosexual counterparts.
鈥淭his situation is very similar to the issue that the U.S. military faced during the late 1940鈥檚 with the integration of blacks and whites,鈥� says Knapp.
Approximately 60,000 gays are active in the U.S. military today, according to the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military.
Source: Kent State University
