Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Policy Analysis and Interpretation
Abstract
The Department of Defense issued directives in December of 1993 revising the policy on homosexuals in the military. The policy, dubbed *don't ask, don't tell, makes a distinction between sexual conduct and sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is considered a private matter, while sexual misconduct is an offense that remains punishable by separation. The new policy also prevents investigations solely for the purpose of determining sexual orientation. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate interpretations and understanding of the new policy by Navy junior officers attending the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), at the time the policy was introduced. The research approach involved two phases: a structured questionnaire distributed to all (approximately 1,000) Navy students followed by focused interviews to probe issues raised in the written survey. The results suggest that Navy students at NPS are generally not familiar with rules under the new policy. Also, a majority of these officers are uncomfortable with perceived changes in policy and tend to interpret the new rules conservatively. The authors conclude that a general lack of understanding concerning the actual changes have contributed to a level of anxiety displayed by most officers. Don't ask, Don't tell, Policy analysis and interpretation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA283306
Entities
People
- Fred E. Cleveland
- Mark A. Ohl
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School