Pentagon releases DADT report

You can read the full 267 page report here. It is already being hailed as a thorough, sensible report on the ground conditions of gay personnel in the armed forces.

The Washington Post reports: According to a survey sent to 400,000 service members, 69 percent of those responding reported that they had served with someone in their unit who they believed to be gay or lesbian. Of those who did, 92 percent stated that their unit's ability to work together was very good, good, or neither good nor poor, according to the sources. Combat units reported similar responses, with 89 percent of Army combat units and 84 percent of Marine combat units saying they had good or neutral experiences working with gays and lesbians.

At the same time, the report found that 30 percent of those surveyed overall — and between 40 and 60 percent of the Marine Corps — either expressed concern or predicted a negative reaction if Congress were to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" law, which allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military on the condition that they keep their sexuality a secret.

Speaking today at a press conference, Adm. Mike Mullen said, "the data is very compelling" to show a repeal will not negatively affect the military. Adds Secretary of Defense Gates: "One of the things that's very important to me is personal integrity, and a policy and a law that in effect requires people to lie gives me a problem … A policy that requires people to lie about themselves somehow seems to me fundamentally flawed."

Gates also adds there will be "no separate facilities" for gay and lesbian troops, and that he believes the Pentagon should offer housing and spousal benefits for gay troops.

Army Gen. Carter Ham says he expects short-term reactions to gays serving openly once DADT is repealed, but over time it will become a non-issue.