Pentagon brass debating whether or not "don't ask, don't tell" is sustainable?
This article about the British integration of open gays in the military, which began 7 years ago, has some very interesting quotes suggesting Pentagon officials have spoken with their British counterparts about how well the policy change has worked:
For this article, the Defense Ministry refused to give permission for any member of the forces to be interviewed, either on or off the record. Those who spoke did so before the ministry made its position clear.
“We’re not looking to have quotes taken out of context in a way to imply that we’re trying to influence the debate in the United States,” the British official said. “There are some sensitivities over the timing of this. We have had communications from our counterparts in the United States, and they have asked us questions about how we’ve handled it and how it’s gone on the ground. There does seem to be some debate going on over how long the current policy will be sustainable.”
Since the British dropped their ban on gays seven years ago, by the way, it has been a "nonissue" according to the article. Gay servicepeople whose relationships are legally sanctioned under Britain's civil unions law live together on military bases, and the military now recruits at gay pride parades.
|