Obama Considers Removing Military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy

President Barack Obama told The Advocate in April 2008 that he could "reasonably" end the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. As he presented his 2010 State of the Union address in January, he returned his attention to the controversial military standard that was instituted under President Bill Clinton in 1993. No official date has been given for the policy's rescinding, though it is largely expected to be acted upon by Congress before 2011.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff have issued their support for the President's
stance. Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, told the Senate, "My personal belief is that allowing homosexuals to serve openly would be the right thing to do."

He expanded further, "I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, it comes down to integrity — theirs as individuals and ours as an institution."

Changing the policy has not been met with universal support – 27 percent, according to a February Pew Research poll, oppose gays serving openly. Merrill A. McPeak, the Air Force chief of staff when "don't ask, don't tell" was instituted, contributed an op-ed to the New York Times, concluding, "I believe repealing ‘don't ask, don't tell' will weaken the warrior culture at a time when we have a fight on our hands."

Colonel Om Prakush summarizes one report that disputes McPeak's claim. He says in his winning 2009 Secretary of Defense National Security Essay, "In a survey of over 100 experts from Australia, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom, it was found that all agreed the decision to lift the ban on homosexuals had no impact on military performance, readiness, cohesion or ability to recruit or retain, nor did it increase the HIV rate among troops."

Proponents of the change have questioned the lack of a timetable. An intensive internal study is due Dec. 1, as ordered by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, but the Senate has indicated it will not wait. More than a dozen senators have introduced legislation that would repeal the law.

Open service for homosexuals represents a significant change in the military's stance on the subject. Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was a compromise from his campaign promise that he would allow individuals of any sexual orientation to serve in the armed forces. Previously, the standard declared that homosexuality was "incompatible with military service."