BREAKING: Senate panel votes to end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

The Senate Armed Services Committee has just voted to allow the Defense Department to repeal the 1993 ban on gay and lesbian people from serving in the military.

According to the New York Times, it was a 16-12 vote in a closed session, after about an hour-long “vigorous” debate.

The House is expected to vote on the measure either tonight or Friday.

Republicans were strongly against repealing it. They citied letters from armed services chiefs that strongly recommended that Congress wait until the Pentagon’s study on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is complete.

The measure includes a provision that the ban could not be lifted until December 1st, when the Pentagon completes a review to ensure that the repeal would not affect military readiness.

WATCH LIVE: The House Debate on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

(Photo: vbprogressives)

Retired US General: Gay Dutch Troops Contributed to Srebrenica Massacre

General John Sheehan, a former top US and NATO commander claims that because the Netherlands allows gays in the military, Dutch troops were unable to prevent the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims.

According to the BBC, a Dutch defense ministry spokesman dismissed Sheehan’s theory as “complete nonsense.”

Gen Sheehan said the former chief of staff of the Dutch army had told him that the presence of openly gay soldiers in the Dutch peacekeeping force were seen as “part of the problem” which contributed to the fall of Srebrenica.

NavyTimes also reports that Sheehan believes that gays in the military hurts military readiness.

(Photo: Srebrenica Memorial outside Potocari, Bosnia and Herzegovina, by Sam Walker) (via Adam Coccia)

Gays in the Military: A Thorough Breakdown of Opinions

Hunch.com reports that among its users who have ever served in the military, roughly 1/3 favor a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell-like policy.  54% of former officers and 57% of former enlisted people favor a completely open policy, while 11% of both groups favor a complete ban. The military’s own poll among active troops indicates about a 30% rate of favoring repeal of DADT, with 51% opposed to a repeal.

Overall opinion of Hunch users:

• 4% do not support gays in the military
• 72% support gays in the military
• 24% support Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Further Breakdown

Hunch broke down the answers by age, gender, continent, political ideology, comfort with technology:

View the full report with more breakdowns »

Fun fact: Equalitopia is also on Hunch. :)

Opinions of gays in the military by type of military service

Hunch.com reports that among Hunch users who have ever served in the military, roughly 1/3 favor a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell-like policy.  54% of former officers and 57% of former enlisted people favor a completely open policy, while 11% of both groups favor a complete ban. The military’s own poll among active troops indicates about a 30% rate of favoring repeal of DADT, with 51% opposed to a repeal.

Overall opinion of Hunch users:

• 4% do not support gays in the military
• 72% support gays in the military
• 24% support Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

View the full report with more graphs »

Fun fact: Equalitopia is also on Hunch. :)

Senators to Introduce Review of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Tomorrow

Tomorrow, a press confrence will be held by senators Joe Lieberman, Carl Levin, Mark Udall, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Roland Burris that will introduce the repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, according to gltnewsnow.

They state that The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 contains three provisions:

• repeal the law that prevents gay Americans from openly serving in the military
• prohibit discrimination against service members on the basis of sexual orientation
• promote the establishment of Reserve Officer Training Corps units at elite colleges and universities

The review is to be is to be completed by December. Businessweek reports that the review will cover “research from all levels of the military and their families, as well as the experiences of foreign militaries.” The review will also include a plan for implementing the repeal.