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Gay troops could at last be allowed to serve openly in the US armed forces, as a Pentagon study found a large majority of military personnel would have no problem working with homosexual comrades, Reuters reported Wednesday. A survey conducted among 115,000 troops and over 44,000 military spouses confirmed that some 70 percent of the respondents wanted to overturn the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, believing that the presence of gay troops would not impact a unit's fighting ability. Under the 17-year ban, gay troops are allowed into service at the cost of hiding their sexual orientation, which critics condemn as being discriminatory and at odds with the military's emphasis on honesty. "Gays and lesbians have been serving in the Armed Forces since the inception of our country," a proponent said. "They love this country just as much as heterosexuals." In a statement Tuesday, President Barack Obama also called for the end of the "discriminatory policy." Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, "I strongly urge the Senate to pass this legislation and send it to the president for his signature before the end of this year." However, BBC analyst Paul Adams warned that the repeal is far from a done deal. Republicans blocked the Democrats' effort to lift the ban in September, and now opponents still have plenty to seize on, he said. Were Obama to fail in the repeal for the second time this year, he risks disillusioned gay voters who supported him in 2008 staying away from the polls during the 2012 presidential elections. However, despite Republican determination to frustrate Obama's political agenda, ignoring such a majority view on the issue could cost the GOP crucial support from independents. The Washington Post also stressed the significance of the minority opposition, arguing that troops are typically discouraged from speaking out on controversial topics. In a 13-page section of the report, the paper noted, dozens of quotes reflected the pessimism of the remaining 30 percent of opponents, with worries ranging from fear of AIDS to violation of religious beliefs. Religious groups are split on the issue, as christianitytoday. com claimed Sunday that half of the Evangelicals opposed gays serving openly in the military. "I believe this is not the time for us to make huge changes in the military. We are at war, and our men and women overseas do not need any more distractions," one said. Agencies - Global Times |
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