Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Survey Of Spouses Leaked, Condemned As ‘Insulting And Derogatory’

[cal04]

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Survey Of Spouses Leaked, Condemned As ‘Insulting And Derogatory’ By Advocacy Group
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/08/21/spouse-survey-2/

Politico has obtained a copy of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell survey sent out to 150,000 military spouses yesterday. The document is part of a broader Pentagon study designed to determine the consequences of repealing the ban against open service. Earlier this year, the Pentagon came under attack from groups representing gay and lesbian servicemembers after portions of a separate survey of active and reservist troops became public. Citing privacy concerns, activist groups advised closeted gay members against participating in the study and denounced it as insulting.

This 13-page document — which begins with a letter from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates informing spouses that the survey “will help us assess the impact of a change in the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law
and policy on family readiness and recruiting and retention” — has sparked similar condemnation from LGB groups. “This survey of military spouses contains many of the same insulting and derogatory assumptions and insinuations about gays and lesbian that ran throughout the last survey,” Servicemembers United said in a statement. “Answer choices suggest things like the Defense Department possibly distributing flyers in military neighborhoods if, as they say, ‘Don’t ask, Don’t Tell’ is repealed and that the ‘readiness’ of military families might somehow be impacted.”

Below are several sample questions, read the full survey HERE:
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM170_100820_survey.html

The survey’s recipients were selected at random from the Pentagon’s database of registered spouses, which does not include the partners of gay and lesbian troops. The Pentagon is engaged in a separate process of contacting and incorporating the voices of LGB partners. In fact, according to one Pentagon source, the co-chairs of the DADT study group have already met with several spouses of gay and lesbian members.

Spouses will have until September 27th to complete the survey. The results of the broader DADT study are expected at the beginning of December.

[rocktivity]

1. Apparently they missed the point of the Prop 8 ruling

Civil rights is NOT a majority rules issue, for what should be an obvious reason: The people who would get the rights would depend on being the "right" people.

:patriot:
rocktivity

[FreeState]

2. Wow - gays are so scary we need interactive live chats to deal with reality...

If Don't Ask, Don't Tell is repealed, the military will want to prepare and assist spouses in understanding the new policy. How would you like the military to provide you with information on the new policy? MARK ALL THAT APPLY
• No special activities or communications would be necessary
• Distribute printed information to spouses about repeal
• Provide information about repeal on military Web sites
• Have interactive chats available on line to answer questions from Service member spouses
• Provide information through military chaplains trained to work with spouses and family members on repeal
• Provide information through military counselors trained to work with spouses and family members on repeal
• Provide information through Family Readiness Group/Work-Life Program leaders trained to work with spouses and family members on repeal
• Offer courses to spouses on how to discuss repeal within their families.
• Other, please specify: ____

[Bluebear]

3. Fierce!

[terrya]

4. This bullshit is why Dan Choi felt he had to chain himself to the White House fence,

Once again, as with the various marriage bans around the country, a bunch of strangers gets to vote on our equality. In this case, a group of strangers gets to weigh in on whether gay men and lesbians, already serving our country, as they want to do, can serve openly as gay men and lesbians can in the militaries of 25 other countries.

I'm getting more and more pessimistic about this. We're being set up here. Read the truly insulting questions in that survey. It's as if the Pentagon is doing all it can to engender opposition to DADT repeal.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

5. IF THERE IS NOTHING FOR THE CHRISTIAN/WHITES TO FEAR, THEY WILL LOSE ALL POWER

[readmoreoften]

7. +1

[msongs]

6. what kind of coward would do this survey instead of deciding on the merits? nt