U.S. military says questions about gays would help if 'don't ask' were ended

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, favor repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," but not until a study recommends how to make the change. (Melina Mara/the Washington Post)
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"Surveying the troops is unprecedented; it did not happen in 1948 when President Truman ended segregation, and it did not happen in 1976 when the service academies opened to women," SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis said. "Even when the military placed women on ships at sea, the Pentagon did not turn to a survey on how to bring about that cultural change."

The Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation's largest gay rights groups, provided tepid support for the survey.

"While surveying the troops on an issue like this is problematic from the start and the questions exhibit clear bias, the fact remains that this study exists," said HRC spokesman Michael Cole. "We urge the department to analyze the results with an understanding of the inherent bias in the questions and use it as a tool to implement open service quickly and smoothly."

Asked about criticism that the survey was biased against gays, Morrell replied: "Absolutely, unequivocally I reject it as nonsense."

He said it would be "irresponsible" not to ask troops about the potential privacy concerns of sharing quarters and showers with gays, given that the Obama administration is pushing to end the law, which has been in existence since 1993.

House lawmakers repealed the policy as part of their version of the annual defense spending bill. Observers expect the Senate to take similar action soon.

Military officials leading the survey study wrote the questions in consultation with Westat, an independent research firm based in Rockville. Half of the 400,000 service members receiving the survey, which is voluntary, will be reserve forces.

The Pentagon originally planned to survey 200,000 service members, but Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates ordered that the number be doubled. Pentagon officials said the survey is not a referendum on whether "don't ask, don't tell" should be repealed.

A copy of the survey was provided to The Washington Post and other media by the University of California's Palm Center, which studies gays in the military. The group said it obtained the questionnaire from an active-duty service member who received it.

It includes about 20 questions regarding marital status, housing, family perceptions of military service, career intentions and whether the participant socializes with members of his or her unit. The next series of questions asks about a service member's interactions with gay or lesbian colleagues, subordinates or unit leaders.

Questions include "Do you currently serve with a male or female service member you believe to be homosexual?" and "In the unit where you had a leader you believe to be gay or lesbian, about how many other unit members also believed the leader to be gay or lesbian?"