Salon reports on a new GAO report on the human resources and financial costs associated with the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of the U.S. military:
Earlier this month, the Pentagon reported that it was discharging fewer gay men and lesbians than before. Still, the GAO says nearly 9,000 troops [actually, a NY Times article says 9,488 troops] have been forced out of service since "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" took effect. Countless others have simply left the services quietly as a result of the policy; the GAO's $200 million cost estimate doesn't -- and really couldn't -- account for troops who simply chose not to re-enlist rather than put up with the discriminatory policy or risk expulsion down the road.
Will military human resources needs ultimately open the door for the expanded codification of civil rights for the GLBT community just as it did for black folks? The Salon article implies it's a possibility:
...such a move would not be without precedent; the British Royal Navy, which until 2000 banned gays altogether, has just announced a plan to begin recruiting gay men and lesbians. And as violence in Iraq keeps the U.S. military bogged down and stretched thin, even George W. Bush might come to think that an openly gay soldier is better than no soldier at all.Posted by sarah at February 25, 2005 11:36 AM