TEXT OF LETTER FROM CITIZENS FOR REPEAL TO DEFENSE DEPT:
June 7, 2010
Secretary Gates:
We, as openly gay and lesbian service men and women, write to you today to express our dismay at a significant omission from current efforts to study the impact of repeal of the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy. The dilemma created by current policies effectively prevents interviews of gay and lesbian servicemembers and the heterosexual colleagues who knowingly serve alongside them, and it has left a gaping hole in the current investigation.
Many of us have served, and will continue to serve, openly in our units —across all branches of the military. It is unlikely that any servicemembers will speak out honestly regarding open service because of the scarlet letter that has been symbolically placed on gay and lesbian men and women in the military. Leadership that has allowed open service would dare not admit it for fear of retaliation. These are the very units that should be studied the most, for they most clearly demonstrate the capacity for soldiers to serve with each other, regardless of sexual orientation, while still being highly effective at their service to our country.
This unbalanced debate hurts our military cohesion when we need it the most. Our heterosexual counterparts see their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters at arms being unjustifiably called “a social experiment” and “potential rapists” while no leadership defends us. The very groups that make these claims have direct access to the Pentagon working group, but gay and lesbian soldiers who risk their lives every day, do not.Failure to directly interview gay and lesbian troops will result in failure to show that the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy has allowed the worst of atrocities to occur in our military and go unreported. Gay and lesbian servicemembers are given the choice to either report heinous crimes, such as rape, blackmail, and assault, or sacrifice the careers they love.
We ask that you allow the Pentagon working group to approach gay members of the military, under the current policy, without fear of retribution. We ask that our current service be respected as this critical inquiry proceeds. As we lay our lives on the line like our colleagues we ask our leaders to honor our service and respect our sacrifice by defending our service against these attacks.
Citizens for Repeal, a group representing more than 250 gay and lesbian active-duty soldiers, yesterday sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates criticizing the agency's working group study for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", saying it is unbalanced and does not fairly obtain input from gay and lesbian service members in the military today.
I have posted the text of the letter, AFTER THE JUMP…
The letter highlights that gays and lesbians already serve openly in many units with tolerant commanders and claims such units should be studied to understand how and why they work, something impossible under the study's restrictions.
"Our heterosexual counterparts see their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters at arms being unjustifiably called 'a social experiment' and 'potential rapists' while no leadership defends us," said the letter from Citizens for Repeal, which grew out of a group of gay cadets at the Air Force Academy and now encompasses gay and lesbian service personnel from all five military branches.
"The very groups that make these claims have direct access to the Pentagon working group, but gay and lesbian soldiers who risk their lives every day, do not," the letter said.
Citizens for Repeal is withholding the names of the gay military members who support the letter because they would be subject to discharge if their identities were known, said Ty Walrod, Citizens for Repeal's civilian spokesman.
Pentagon officials conceded that they are limited in the ways that they can collect information for the study, due Dec. 1, which commanders told Congress in February would be key to repealing a policy still popular with many in the military.
However, officials said they are also setting up work- arounds that might include a hotline or anonymous interviews done by a third-party contractor.
Military members and their families can also anonymously post information on a website set up by the 65-member comprehensive review working group, tasked by Gates to do the study. But the limit of those comments is 1,000 characters — or less than 250 words.
Much of the information for the study is being gathered by working group teams, which are holding forums that include several hundred people at a time on and around military bases. The forums are meant to gather views on how repeal could affect unit readiness and cohesion as well as recruiting.
CFR says that many of the stories the military needs to hear can't be collected under the current process. The group has received support from Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), who has contacted the Pentagon concerning the letter and promises to be a watchdog for the process.
Read the text of the letter, AFTER THE JUMP…
