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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyJuly 9th, 2010
It’s posted online here. Servicemembers Legal Defense Network warns LGBT servicememembers against taking the survey, citing privacy concerns. Citizens for Repeal, however, urges LGBT servicemembers to take the survey. Servicemembers United, which had urged LGBT servicemembers to take the survey, now calls it “derogatory and insulting” in a press release.
I have privacy concerns myself, but as I look at the survey I don’t find it derogatory or insulting. Unless you think a survey ought not include opportunities for homophobes to express their opinion. But if a survey only allows people to respond in a pro-LGBT manner, then why bother asking anyone anything?
Update: A Pentagon spokesperson acknowledged that these 32 pages are an “authentic portion of the survey, but it isn’t the complete version.” In other words, it’s not the whole thing.
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Paul F
July 9th, 2010
This is ridiculous. When else has the Military taken a survey to decide policy?
Where was the survey of whether the Military should integrate in the 1940s?
Or where was the survey of whether the Military should allow women in combat?
But for gays, we need a survey? Ridiculous. Gee, thanks again Obama.
Timothy Kincaid
July 9th, 2010
It wasn’t as bad as I feared. But it still did seem to present more negative options than positive ones.
hyhybt
July 9th, 2010
Interesting that you cannot even *download* the survey anonymously.
Jim Burroway
July 9th, 2010
The stated purpose of the survey is not to decide policy, but to guide the implementation of DADT’s repeal. However, the very real fear is that the survey’s results will be used to fuel opposition to DADT’s repeal. It’s a valid concern.
Sean
July 9th, 2010
What is so offensive about it? Most of these soldiers are just kids (18-22) and aren’t exactly thrilled about our lifestyle. It’s the same with soldiers of strong Christian faith who believe Jews and Muslims are going to Hell. There is no way you can force a young, red-blooded, American GI to serve 24/7 alongside someone he views as degenerate or sinful.
Muscat
July 9th, 2010
I can see objecting to the survey itself but I don’t see that the content of the survey is particularly objectionable.
paul j stein
July 9th, 2010
When a service member signs up to join he agrees to protect the interests of The United States of America. He is NOT setting policy. His job is to follow orders from command personnel. End of story. If he does not particularly respect/like the guy next to him too f*****G bad. Not the best for unit cohesion, but it is not a Hetero guys only fraternity he joined. It is the USA MILITARY.
AdrianT
July 10th, 2010
The flaw in the questionnaire is that it starts with the premise that DADT has never been broken. many questions ask about the ‘belief’ that someone might be gay; nowhere does it actually ask, ‘do you know of any (and thus by definition ‘openly’) gay servicemen?’
i.e. It does not distinguish between data from people who merely suspect someone to be gay and data from those who know someone to be gay.
So it means that any potential evidence showing gay people serve without problems, is regarded as supposition.
Fears, attitudes / prejudices therefore carry equal if not more weighting than fact.
The survey can only be regarded as a startign point for how it will change attitudes when gays and lesbians actually do serve openly with full protection next year.
If there is any delay, or compromise in the repeal, then the next step is for GLB service people to really organize themselves and look at coming out en-masse, through a petition or march on washington. If 2 or 3 thousand service people came out at once, you would force DADT into oblivion. Especially as the army knows that any attempt to separate them would result in a pretty fierce backlash.
It is a bit disgraceful when you start taking seriously questions about whether you should shower in the same bay as a gay man, in the 21st century.
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