Sources Suggest Fate of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

According to sources familiar with a draft of the study due to Obama in early December, the Pentagon—and the President—will be given the green-light to push forward in efforts to remove ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’,

 Broken into two parts, the study appears set to offer a nuanced report as to the potential ramifications of lifting the military’s ban on open homosexuals. In starting, the study is slated to detail the effects that a repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ might have on morale and readiness. From there, the report is to offer a set of proposals as to how such a repeal might be effectively implemented.

But while the issue may be somewhat less contentious than it once was, the Washington Post reports that “About 40 percent of the Marine Corps is concerned about lifting the ban, according to one of the people familiar with the report.” Similarly, the political ramifications of the report—and a potential repeal—remain, at best, uncertain.

Ever the wedge issue, homosexuality in the public sphere is rarely safe political territory. And, given the ongoing nature of American military engagement, it doesn’t look as if homosexuality in the military will offer much in the way of a reprise. The report will come out early next month, the full extent of its repercussions, however, will presumably remain unknown for sometime thereafter.

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