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New York Times Editorial - Unfinished Business: DADT

Published: July 3, 2011

It has been six months since Congress voted to allow military service by openly gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans, but the law banning their service is still in effect. The Pentagon has not certified that the military is ready for the change, and while that process needlessly drags on, soldiers continue to be discharged for acknowledging their sexuality. The full repeal of this discriminatory policy should be one of the highest priorities for the new defense secretary, Leon Panetta.

The armed forces are a conservative, tradition-bound institution, and proponents of repeal have long known it would not happen overnight. Scores of regulations had to be rewritten, training sessions had to be held for changed procedures, and old prejudices had to be overcome. The Pentagon has tried to anticipate questions about a huge set of possible circumstances.

In one set of training scenarios used by the Marines, for example, the guidelines explain that a military recruiter with strong religious feelings against homosexuality will no longer be able to refuse to process a gay applicant, but — because of freedom of religious expression — a military chaplain will be allowed to preach in a base chapel that homosexuality is a sin.

Nonetheless, service members also have long known that this day is coming, and six months seems long enough for them to get the message that the law has changed. Even after the Pentagon and President Obama officially sign the certification of readiness, the law provides for another 60-day period before it takes effect.

Beyond changing the regulations, the most pressing issue is whether commanders will put a firm stop to the harassment of openly gay or lesbian soldiers that often takes place in locker rooms or barracks. The rules are clear that commanders are expected to crack down. But there have been regular reports that training sessions are not always taken seriously, particularly by Marines.

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