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Study estimates that U.S. military would add 4,000 troops per year if “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was lifted

Press Release
For Immediate Release

March 19, 2007

Media Contact:
Gary J. Gates, Senior Research Fellow, Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law

gates@law.ucla.edu

310.825.1868 (office)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—A new research brief from the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy finds that an estimated 4,000 lesbian, gay, and bisexual military personnel have been lost each year because of the United States military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy.

The analysis shows that had the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy not been instituted in 1994, an estimated 4,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual military personnel would have been retained each year. Of that group, an average of 1,000 men and women were discharged each year as a direct result of the policy and 3,000 would likely stay in the military if they could serve openly.

The military intends to add more than 18,000 new troops each year for the next five years. If patterns observed in 2004 were to continue for the next five years, the estimated retained LGB personnel would account for nearly one in six of the additional troops required.

“If the military needs more troops, it makes more sense to keep the estimated 65,000 well-trained and seasoned lesbian, gay and bisexual soldiers they already have instead of lowering standards to recruit convicted felons, as a recent report from the Michael D. Palm Center shows they have been doing,” observes study author Gary J. Gates. “Allowing lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals to serve openly could go a long way to meeting the President’s directive to add 92,000 troops in five years.”

The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy advances law and public policy through rigorous, independent research and scholarship, and disseminates its work through a variety of education programs and media to judges, legislators, lawyers, other policy makers and the public. This study can be accessed at the Williams Institute website:


	about us programs publications reading room press support us contact us home		Study estimates that U.S. military would add 4,000 troops per year if “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was lifted Press Release For Immediate Release March 19, 2007 Media Contact: Gary J. Gates, Senior Research Fellow, Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law gates@law.ucla.edu 310.825.1868 (office) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—A new research brief from the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy finds that an estimated 4,000 lesbian, gay, and bisexual military personnel have been lost each year because of the United States military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy. The analysis shows that had the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy not been instituted in 1994, an estimated 4,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual military personnel would have been retained each year. Of that group, an average of 1,000 men and women were discharged each year as a direct result of the policy and 3,000 would likely stay in the military if they could serve openly. The military intends to add more than 18,000 new troops each year for the next five years. If patterns observed in 2004 were to continue for the next five years, the estimated retained LGB personnel would account for nearly one in six of the additional troops required. “If the military needs more troops, it makes more sense to keep the estimated 65,000 well-trained and seasoned lesbian, gay and bisexual soldiers they already have instead of lowering standards to recruit convicted felons, as a recent report from the Michael D. Palm Center shows they have been doing,” observes study author Gary J. Gates. “Allowing lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals to serve openly could go a long way to meeting the President’s directive to add 92,000 troops in five years.” The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy advances law and public policy through rigorous, independent research and scholarship, and disseminates its work through a variety of education programs and media to judges, legislators, lawyers, other policy makers and the public. This study can be accessed at the Williams Institute website: www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute