Petrelis Files

DoD's Gates Interview: "Responsibility to Execute" Anti-Gay Policy

No surprise here. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was interviewed today by the Pentagon Channel and expressed continued support for barring open gays and lesbians from serving in the military. I really get the sense that Gates and Gen. Peter Pace would rather continue losing the Iraqi war than allow gay and lesbian people aid our country in an hour of need.

Click here to read the full transcript of the Gates interview.

And here is an excerpt from the Armed Forces Press Service story about the interview and the antigay policy:

The top civilian and military leaders in the Defense Department today expressed support for the current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy barring openly gay people from military service.

“It is my responsibility to execute that policy as effectively as we can as long as the law is what it is; that’s what we’ll do,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in an interview with the Pentagon Channel. [...]

Gates said personal opinion has no bearing in enforcing the current law.

“What’s important is that we have a law, a statute that governs don’t ask, don’t tell, and that’s the policy of this department,” [(sic) left blank by Dod.mil web site.] ...

The law allows people to serve regardless of sexual orientation as long as they don’t engage in homosexual acts or disclose their homosexual orientation. It also prohibits harassment based on sexual harassment and forbids “witch hunts” into individuals’ sexual orientation.

Pace said yesterday that he believes homosexual activity is immoral and works against good order and discipline in the services. [...]

The don’t ask, don’t tell policy is based on conduct, not orientation, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. “DoD expects all servicemembers to be treated with dignity and respect all the time,” he said. “Any harassment is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Servicemembers receive training on the law and attend classes on preventing harassment.

Congress enacted the “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue” law in March 1994. It provides that engaging in homosexual conduct is grounds for discharge from the military. The law also says that service by those who have a propensity to engage in homosexual conduct creates an unacceptable risk to morale, good order, discipline and unit cohesion.

But the law also says, “sexual orientation is a personal and private matter that is not a bar to military service unless manifested by homosexual conduct.”

Under don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue:

-- Servicemembers are not to ask about others’ sexual orientation;

-- Servicemembers should not reveal their sexual orientation; and

-- Commanders could not engage in investigations with the sole purpose of finding out a servicemember’s sexual orientation.