Report Exposes Unacceptable Risks of Changing Pentagon's Homosexual Exclusion Policy

In a new blockbuster 60-page report that could affect the on-going debate over gays in the military, writer and researcher Dale O'Leary documents why the proposed admission of open and active homosexuals -- and other persons with various "gender identity" problems and disorders -- threatens and would undermine the military culture.

The report, "Asking for Trouble: How Admitting Open Homosexuals to the U.S. Armed Forces Will Undermine Military Readiness, Order, and Discipline," has been issued by the public policy group, America's Survival, Inc., headed by veteran journalist Cliff Kincaid.

"This report argues convincingly that a change in the policy would risk the lives of our troops," says Kincaid. "In effect, a change in policy would put our soldiers in a confrontation with another deadly enemy" "not the homosexuals themselves, but the health problems and life-threatening diseases associated with their lifestyles."

The report demonstrates that:  

• Numerous large well-designed studies have found that gay men and lesbians are far more likely than the general public to have a number of psychological disorders.
• Men who have sex with men are at high risk for contracting HIV/AIDS or some other sexually transmitted diseases. In spite of years of safe sex education, unsafe behavior is actually increasing.
• Gay men and women are far more likely to have substance abuse problems.
• Cruising, bathhouses, circuit parties, Internet hookups, prostitution, pornography, and Tearoom sex are all defended by gay men as essential to their identity and freedom.
• Changing the rules on sexual minorities or sexual orientation could open the door to the transgendered and transsexuals.

 
Given that the military has, at present, no problem recruiting, the risk of admitting openly homosexual and bisexually-orientated persons far outweighs the benefits. To admit persons into the military with Gender Identity Disorder, the transgendered, and the self-identified "gender queer" would cause massive problems and undermine unit cohesion, readiness, and war-fighting capability.

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What follows is the executive summary of the new report, "Asking for Trouble: How Admitting Open Homosexuals to the U.S. Armed Forces Will Undermine Military Readiness, Order, and Discipline."

Executive Summary

The next G.I. Joe?

Persons who self identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or some other sexual minority constitute less than 3% of the population. However, the majority of these would be disqualified from military service because of psychological disorders, drug use, alcohol abuse, STDs, and conduct unbecoming a member of the military.

Several large, well-designed studies have found significant differences between gays and lesbians and the general public -- differences that could negatively affect military readiness, order, discipline, and the ability of recruits to deal with stresses inherent in military service.

Gays and lesbians are far more likely to suffer from a number of psychological disorders, have problems with substance abuse, and a history of suicidal ideation and attempts. In one study, 67.9% of the homosexually active reported suicidal ideation and 32.1% had made a suicide attempt. A follow up study concluded that: "Gay/lesbian participants reported more acute mental health symptoms than heterosexual people and their general mental health was poorer.

Gay/lesbian people more frequently reported acute physical symptoms and chronic conditions than heterosexual people." A meta-analysis of articles on the mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people found that, "LGB people are at higher risk of mental disorder, suicidal ideation, substance misuse, and deliberate self harm than heterosexual people."

Lesbian women are more likely than other women to suffer from a number of psychological disorders. According to a study done in the U.S., 43.7% of lesbian women were positive for at least one psychological disorder during a 12-month period; 33.5% had major depression. Another study found that 51% seriously considered committing suicide at some time in the past.

Gay men are far more likely than other men to be infected with one or more sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Although they constitute no more than 1.5% of the adult population, they account for half of the new cases of HIV infection and the rate of infections among young gay men is increasing.

To self-identify or "come out" as a gay man or a lesbian has ramifications beyond sexual preference. It involves joining a community of persons with sexual mores that differ substantially from those of the military community. Adultery is prohibited by the military; however, the overwhelming majority of gay men and a significant percentage of lesbian women have open relationships, that is the couple agrees to allow one or both partners to engage in sexual relationships outside the partnership. Gay men frequently engage in "threesomes."

Gay men are more likely to have multiple sexual partners even if in a "committed relationship;" to have sex with virtual strangers who are part of a community with a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases and once infected with one STD become more susceptible to other STDs; to indulge in drugs and alcohol before sex, behavior which lowers inhibition and increases risk taking; to use drugs such as Viagra so as to be able to engage in multiple sexual acts during the same evening; and to belong to a culture which sexual pleasure is the highest value.

A member of the military, who embraces the military culture with all that entails, will be alienated from the dominant gay culture in which the desire to cruise for sexual partners on the Internet and post nude pictures of their private parts, to engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners in public places while high on drugs and alcohol, and to have "open" relationships is seen not only as the essence of what it means to be "gay" but as a model for the larger society.

Changing DADT carries other risks. Because the desire to be the other sex is considered by some to be a "sexual orientation" and because the "transgendered" are classified as "sexual minorities," any legislation to change DADT that included references to "sexual orientation," "sexual minorities," "gender identity," "gender variant," or "gender expression," in addition to references to homosexual and bisexual, could force the military to accept men and women suffering from Gender Identity Disorder, sometimes referred to as "transgendered." Such men and women want to appear in public as the other sex, and may or may not have had surgery to change their appearance. "It is widely accepted that transsexualism represents a fundamental disorder in a person's sense of self." Dr. Paul McHugh of John Hopkins regards accommodating such persons' demand for surgical change as "fundamentally cooperating with a mental illness."

Given the uncontroverted evidence of the problems experienced by the majority of homosexual persons, the risks involved in admitting openly homosexual and bisexual persons in the military clearly outweigh any benefits.

Read the full 60-page report (PDF) here.

Members of tomorrow's Army?