Recent study from Williams Institute updates statistics related to “˜Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy
By Sarah Khan
Feb. 3, 2010 10:54 p.m.
President Barack Obama’s State of the Union announcement that he will take steps to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” coincides with a recent UCLA study from the Williams Institute at the School of Law that estimates the policy has cost the military $500 million since it was implemented in 1994.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy allows lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals to serve in the military as long as they do not talk about or express their sexuality. Those who do are subject to discharge.
The policy also forbids military superiors from investigating an individual’s sexual orientation if they do not have credible evidence of homosexual behavior .
The cost of discharging individuals under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is estimated to be up to $43,000 per person, according to the UCLA study.
However, this number is a conservative estimate, said Gary Gates, the Williams Institute distinguished scholar and author of the study.
The data in the study did not take into account some legal and administrative costs, such as having to hire a lawyer in order to discharge an individual, that come with implementing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, he added. It also did not include personal costs to the people who are discharged.
The study also estimated that lesbian, gay and bisexual men and women currently account for about 2.2 percent of all military personnel. It added that about 3.3 percent of men and 5.2 percent of women in the general population are lesbian, gay or bisexual.
The study updated similar research that was conducted in 2004, Gates said.
It costs more to discharge a lesbian, gay or bisexual individual who is highly trained and qualified for their position because of the training that goes into employing a new person, Gates said.
Each person has different aspects that makes them an asset to the military, said Marcus, a second-year linguistics, English and political science student who asked that his last name not be revealed for privacy reasons.
Marcus, who is openly gay, said he is interested in military service after he graduates.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy would have an impact on Marcus’ life during and after his potential military service, he said.
Its effects reach beyond military life and into civilian relationships, he said.
For instance, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy does not allow the military to notify the partner of a same-sex relationship if his or her partner dies in combat, Marcus said.
“I think (students) should know how far-reaching the effects are,” Marcus said.
The UCLA study gives statistical backing to the debate on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the number of lesbian, gay and bisexual men and women in the military.
“It does … provide a number that there are a clear group of people who are already serving,” Gates said.
The study also estimates that, if the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is lifted, about 36,700 more people would be attracted to join the military.
The study provides facts that may help policymakers when it comes time to present their arguments, Gates said.
“I felt like it was important to inform this debate with these figures,” he said.
