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Shattering Beltway Conventional Wisdom

Some political operatives and media pundits are adamant that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is too much of a political hot potato for the White House this year. They come to this conclusion because historically the issue has been controversial-16 years ago. Much has changed politically and culturally since 1993, something some of the Beltway types seem to forget. Too often the wise (wo)men of Washington make parallels where there aren't any.

An April 30th Quinnipiac poll found that 58 percent of registered voters do not consider the argument of allowing openly gay men and women to serve to be "divisive;" 35 percent think it is. More telling are the attitudes of military families: 56 percent of military families reject the argument that the issue is "divisive."

Other polls consistently show the American people want the ban lifted (including 64 percent of Republicans). A 2006 Zogby International poll of 545 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans found that three-quarters were comfortable around gay service members. Scientific evidence is not squaring with Beltway CW.

But let's forget polls for a minute. What's happening on the ground?

The New York Times surveyed the attitudes of young cadets at West Point.

" 'I really don't think it's going to be that big of a deal,' said Bill Mynatt, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn. 'There are gay soldiers serving and doing their jobs well, and it's not going to change.' Cadet Mynatt said that when some classmates expressed the view that openly gay soldiers would make them uncomfortable, left unspoken was the fear of sexual harassment. 'Which is already against regulations,' Cadet Mynatt said. 'It's the same for a gay soldier and a straight soldier.' "

Or consider this story: A 25-year old woman was fired last year under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." A few gay friends threw her a small going away party at a bar. Turns out when she arrived, the parking lot was packed-many of her straight comrades had unexpectedly showed up to tell her goodbye, even paying the $5 cover to get in the bar.

We've moved a long way down the road on the issue of gays in the military. We've moved so far that the public is ahead of Congress and ahead of much of the chattering class. This is not our hope; it's just what the hard data, and volumes of individual stories, show.

05-05-09 By Kevin Nix, SLDN Communications Director |