The Pentagon has released their long-awaited study on the impact of repealing the military's discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and as expected, the report reveals that our military is not filled with raging homophobes and bigots:
When asked about how having a Service member in their immediate unit who said he or she is gay would affect the unit’s ability to “work together to get the job done,” 70% of Service members predicted it would have a positive, mixed, or no effect.
When asked “in your career, have you ever worked in a unit with a co-worker that you believed to be homosexual,” 69% of Service members reported that they had.
When asked about the actual experience of serving in a unit with a co-worker who they believed was gay or lesbian, 92% stated that the unit’s “ability to work together” was “very good,” “good,” or “neither good nor poor.” [...]
When spouses were asked about whether repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell would affect their preference for their Service member’s future plans to stay in the military, 74% said repeal would have no effect, while only 12% said “I would want my spouse to leave earlier.”
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings on the report on Thursday and Friday, with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, and top members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines all testifying. Leading the charge against repeal will be John McCain (R-AZ), the ranking Republican on the committee.
McCain, who has apparently decided to make his lasting legacy be that of the last man standing against the civil rights issue of the twenty-first century, will presumably continue to argue that violating Americans' 14th Amendment rights isn't a problem.
But the bottom line here is, the findings in this report removes any excuse for opposing the repeal by moderate Republican Senators who have said their vote on the issue would be based on its findings.
But bear in mind that this is just a recommendation on gradually implementing the repeal. It's a victory, but the war isn't won.
Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) has promised a vote on the repeal before the end of the year.