Poll of military personnel on gays in the military

Following are details of a survey of U.S. military personnel who are serving or who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan regarding their attitudes toward gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. The survey was submitted in December 2006 to the Michael D. Palm Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara by Zogby International. The Center specializes in studying Don't Ask Don't Tell.

26 ♦ percent of personnel who think gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military
37 ♦ percent of personnel who think gays and lesbians should not be allowed to serve openly in the military
37 ♦ percent who are neutral or not sure

47 ♦ percent of officers who think gays and lesbians should not be allowed to serve openly in the military

28 ♦ percent of personnel who say the presence of gays or lesbians in their unit has a negative impact on their personal morale
66 ♦ percent of personnel who say the presence of gays or lesbians in their unit has no impact on their personal morale
6 ♦ percent of personnel who say the presence of gays or lesbians in their unit has a positive impact on their personal morale

73 ♦ percent of personnel who say they are comfortable in the presence of gays and lesbians
19 ♦ percent of personnel who say they are uncomfortable in the presence of gays and lesbians

52 ♦ percent of personnel who consider themselves more tolerant than their peers on the issue of homosexuals in the military
11 ♦ percent of personnel who do not consider themselves more tolerant than their peers on the issue of homosexuals in the military

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Capt. Joan Darrah testifies at Don't Ask Don't Tell hearings

Captain Joan Darrah (ret.) testified today in the House Military Personnel Subcommittee hearings on Don't Ask Don't Tell. Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA-53) is the subcommittee chair.

Darrah has substantial credentials in Naval Intelligence. She came out as lesbian after retiring in 2002. See her profile at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

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Rep. Patrick Murphy in DADT hearings, Part 2

Watch as Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA-08) again refuses to take Elaine Donnelly's snarky evasiveness during today's Don't Ask Don't Tell hearings before the House Military Personnel Subcommittee. Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA-53) is the subcommittee chair. According to Donnelly's own official bio, she has no military credentials whatsoever; she has plenty of right-wing ideologue credentials, however.

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Rep. Patrick Murphy is our own Perseus

Watch as Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA-08) tries heroically to get a straight answer out of Elaine Donnelly, gorgon-in-chief of the anti-gay Center for Military Readiness. This exchange occurred during today's hearings before the House Military Personnel Subcommittee on Don't Ask Don't Tell. Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA-53) is the subcommittee chair.

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S.Sgt. Eric Alva testifies at Don't Ask Don't Tell hearings

Marine Staff Sergeant Eric Alva testified today in the House Military Personnel Subcommittee hearings on Don't Ask Don't Tell. Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA-53) is the subcommittee chair.

Alva was the first American servicemember wounded in the Iraq war. Hours after the initial invasion, he stepped on a land mine and lost his right leg. Alva came out as gay after leaving the service.

I dare you not to find a lump in your throat when he explains the etymology of his middle name, Fidelis: "Loyalty is literally my middle name."

His most damning indictment of DADT: "I had proudly served a country that was not proud of me."

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Rep. Susan Davis opens Don't Ask Don't Tell hearings

Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA-53) is chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.

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Don't ask about Don't Ask

As Bush prepares to reappoint Peter Pace to head the Joint Chiefs, the Army is trying all sorts of incentives to keep its officers from running away. Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell apparently is not among those incentives.