About “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

What Is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell?"

• Passed by Congress in 1993, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a law mandating the discharge of openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual service members.
• Under the law, at least one individual per day on average is fired because they are gay or lesbian. (Based on SLDN calculations of Pentagon data, 1993-2007)
• Almost 13,000 service members have been discharged since 1994.

Movement To End Ban

• As he did on the campaign trail, President Obama supports getting rid of the law.
• In the 110th Congress, 149 member of the House signed on to the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (MREA), which repeals current law and replaces it with a policy of non-discrimination in our armed forces.
• Reintroduced in 2009 by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, the MREA today has nearly 150 cosponsors.
• In addition to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under Bill Clinton, John Shalikashvili, USA (Ret.), more than 100 retired admirals and generals support repeal.
• Younger men and women in the military - those who have served in the 21st century - tend to be okay with gay people serving openly .

The Public Overwhelmingly Supports Lifting The Ban

• A July 2008 poll by The Washington Post/ABC News found that 75 percent of Americans favor allowing gays to serve openly in the military - up from just 44 percent in 1993.
• The poll found 64 percent of Republicans in favor of repeal. A 2006 Zogby poll found that 73 percent of military personnel are comfortable with lesbians and gays.

Ban Hurts Military Readiness

• Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have put great strain on the military's personnel resources (Pentagon classified assessment, 2009).
• The military has discharged almost 800 mission-critical troops and at least 59 Arabic and nine Farsi linguists under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the last five years.
• The U.S. must recruit and retain the greatest number of the best and brightest-especially during two wars.

Why "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Should Be Repealed

Pentagon, Government Studies Support Open Military Service

• A 1993 RAND report concluded that the U.S. military could lift "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" without detriment to military readiness.
• At least a dozen studies have concluded that open service does not undermine military readiness, troop morale or national security.

America's Allies Support Open Military Service

• Most allied forces working alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq allow individuals to serve openly regardless of sexual orientation. Studies of the militaries of Australia, Israel, Great Britain and Canada have shown open service to have no effect on enrollment or retention.
• The total number of countries allowing openly gay service is 26. The US and Turkey are the only two original NATO countries that still have bans in place.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Has Cost Taxpayers More Than $360 Million

• A 2006 Blue Ribbon Commission Report found that the total cost of implementing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" between FY 1994 and FY 2003 was at least $363.8 million.

Gay People Are Serving With Honor And Distinction Right Now

• Today, there are at least 65,000 gay Americans serving on active duty and 1 million gay veterans in the United States, according to the Urban Institute.

Federal Government Agencies Do Not Discriminate Against Gay People

• The CIA, FBI and NSA do not discriminate based on sexual orientation. Only the military does.
• Many defense contractors hire gay and lesbian employees who work alongside U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Total "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Discharges: 1994-2007

DADT Discharges Have Fallen Since 2001

• Since the War on Terror began, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" discharges have declined by almost half.
• During every major military conflict the number of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" discharges has dropped.

Further Reading:

History of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Learn more about how the military’s current ban on openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members came to be the law of the land.

The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Law

Read the statute that made discrimination against gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans the law of the land.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Directives, Memos, Etc.

Read Department of Defense directives, memos, and other documents related to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Government Reports on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Learn more about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” from reports commissioned by Congress and the Department of Defense.

SLDN Reports

Learn more about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” from SLDN’s annual reports evaluating the discriminatory policy.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Research & Polls

Explore the existing research on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and its effects on military readiness, and explore polling research on the opinions of political leaders, major newspapers, and ordinary Americans regarding “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Fact Sheets

Get the information you need to advocate for repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!" These fact sheets may be reproduced to share with friends and colleagues, at community events, with decision makers, and at any other venue to illustrate why the military’s ban on openly lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members should be repealed.