U.S. Navy Officer Attitudes on the Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Abstract
Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) prohibited gays from serving openly in the military from December 1993 to September 2011. In February 1994, a survey of Navy officers was administered at the Naval Postgraduate School exploring attitudes toward DADT. This survey was re-administered in 1996, 1999, 2004, and 2010. The surveys revealed an increasing acceptance of gays in the Navy. The present study, conducted post-repeal, utilized the same NPS survey along with focus-group interviews to examine the following: policy, cohesion, leadership, tolerance, unit effectiveness, and military environment. The results show that the trend toward increasing acceptance has continued, as a majority of Navy officers strongly support the service of homosexuals. At the same time, a number of officers claim to feel uncomfortable sharing living quarters with a homosexual. Differences in attitudes were found by rank and years of service. It is recommended that the study be continued and expanded to include a more representative population of Navy officers and enlisted personnel. Further, the post-repeal effects on readiness should be monitored, particularly for fairness and potential harassment. The thesis includes appendices with survey trend data from 1994 to 2012 and response frequencies from a concurrent survey of Marine Corps officers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA579598
Entities
People
- Peter S. Mclaughlin
- Ryan P. Appleman
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School