A decade after the US military first repealed its ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy and allowed gay and lesbian troops to serve openly, a report has revealed that concerns about combat effectiveness and unit cohesion were unfounded. “Opponents of equality have claimed that inclusion would harm America’s most important institutions and threaten the nation itself. This military study makes clear the yawning gap between fearmongering and reality,” said Aaron Belkin (below), director of the Palm Centre, a think tank that studies US military personnel policy. “It should guide dialogue about similar claims in the present, such as fears that inclusion for transgender Americans is somehow a threat to our society.” The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy was introduced by President Clinton in 1993 and allowed gay & lesbian troops to serve only if they kept their sexual orientation secret. It was repealed by Barack Obama in 2011.
First look inside ChiChiz
10/12/2025
