46.72%	Yes
52.45%	No

Comment: Should YOU be discriminated in the workplace because you are STRAIGHT? Of course not! So why are we allowing our country to discriminate our own because of WHO THEY ARE? End discrimination. End DOMA,and support equality people! by A

Comment: Its the reason why i'm still serving. The military its not the civilian world. The fact that homosexuals want the whole world to change for them its getting very absurd!!! by edgar

Comment: It shouldn't matter if your gay or straight, you're trying to defend your country and that's all that matters. by Alyssa

Comment: First of all I do not have a problem with gay people, everyone is allowed to live the way they want to in this country as long as it is not illegal. But we do not have to agree with the way people want to live so why is this issue forced upon us?

Comment: We all have one thing in common--the safety of our country. There are several soldiers already over there who are gay or lesbian and they are fighting for our freedom and safety. The last thing we need to be worring about is their sexual orientation; instead we need to pray that they come home safely and alive. by Tillie

Comment: It is sin. I don't hate or dislike anyone that is gay. They just need to come to the knowledge of Christ and what God tells us in his word. by William

Comment: Everyone should be allowed to serve openly by chris

Comment: It is time to end ignorant, bigoted thinking. I will not see it in my lifetime, although I have witnessed changes. Hopefully, the next generation will. by Hal

Comment: I serve in the Army right now and do not think they should change the policy. We do not want to have to worry about a homosexual who gets scared in battle and let's the man on the left and on the right down. In the infantry we are an all male force and to have to worry about someone like that will hurt us in the end. by Robert

Comment: The military should adapt to the world as it changes. I just find it appalling that with all the freedoms we have in the United States; if you serve in the military you have to hide your sexual orientation. There's too many limitations on those who are serving. When/if they come out of the military they'll have to deal with people with different sexual orientation. So why not help them get used to it. This is one of the cons of the military that's made me reflect negatively on our military; and the funny thing is, I'm planning on being in the military soon. by Bethany

Comment: I'm the son of Air Force veteran who had the opportunity to join the Navy with a 4 year scholarship that I forfeited partly because I knew I was gay. I wanted to live a life a honesty. It's time that the next generation of youth have that option. by Cristov

Comment: i was in the army and the policy should stay in place specially because of the war. Don't rock the boat right now. by Emil

Comment: I think its the only next step our military can make in eliminating discrimination. Before, African-Americans couldn't serve with white troops, and women couldn't serve in the military, and people were against it. People eventually accept these changes, or at least some do. You'll always run into people who you have to drag kicking and screaming into accepting others, but in the long run, it betters humanity. by Jermaine

Comment: Freedom for all by chris

Comment: I don't think we should ask or tell but we also shouldn't suspend or deny anyone who wants to serve. Those who serve are there for one purpose and it's not about appearance or sexual identity. by Amanda

Comment: why should 1 - 3% population make decision over majority of heteros by jill

Comment: It's time to stop requiring those serving our country in the military to lie about who they are. Let's put an end to the discrimination.

Comment: I spent 8.5 years in the Army. For us as Americans to tell someone they can not serve is a form of segregation. Our country has come to far for us to continue this when we have vowed to end all segregation since the days of Dr King. by William

Comment: I Believe a person should be who he or she wants to be and it is not no concern of no one else. by Brenda

Comment: i retired in 1994 when dorms were just being built where rooms were 1 and 2 man shortly after this program started. I think it would be the right thing to let the 1st Sgt know so he or she could put a gay person with another gay person or in rooms by themselves. I do think they will have to still be discreet on whom they let know they are gay as this is still the military , especially in the Marines or on ships where being gay in open bunk areas may be more difficult or in the field where open bay tents are used. I have no problem as long as they leave me alone and do their jobs. Additional history on gays in the military: before don't ask don't tell, the OSI sent undercover agents into dorms to weed out gays and kick them out, especially where we had open bay community restrooms and showers and had room mates. by Don

Comment:  Men & women join the U.S. military to protect our nations interests, not to advertise their sexual preferences. We don't care what their orientation is but we don't want them to flaunt it. Just as we wouldn't want a heterosexual to flaunt their sexual preferences either. Gays & Lesbians claim that their orientation should   not define them as a person but if that is true then their orientation should also not define them as soldiers & should therefore be moot points that need not be mentioned at all.      by Mark

Comment: Homosexuality is not compatible with the lifestyle of the Military. It is an illness such as pedophilia or, alcoholism. Gay marriage should remain outlawed the same as Polygamy. The issue of barracking has not been answered. Do gay service members bunk with straight servicemembers or, or each other? And how do you deal with Bisexuals? and how about showers when deployed? I'm sure that there are gay servicmembers that are very capable of serving, but just like any other servicemember you have to take the impact of their illness on the mission. by Jaime

Comment: no i don't think that they belong in the military because they can not handal life the way it should be so never less they can not handal life in the military. by dan

Comment: I'm retired Air Force (32 years) married for over 27 years. And I say if gays can do their jobs and serve their country then let them serve. by Sam C

Comment: These people suffer from a sad perversion. It's not who they are; it's what they do - and normal people should not be forced to serve with them. by Robert

Comment: Even military members should have opportunity to love, have relationships, and live life to it's fullest. 20 retired military vet, looking back now, it was the saddest and loneliest times of my life. Last 5 years of my career, most coworkers and senior officers were very aware of my sexuality. No one was bothered. by Edward

Comment: Most important it is NO ONES BUSINESS - a war what matters most is who has your back - IF you're being attack and some one is coming to your aid are you going to ask for ANY information first or are you going to thank your god help is there - WHATEVER ones sex preferance does it make you any less DEAD ...DOES IT??? My family was/is military and I have closed my door nor turned a GI away because of color, belief, politics nor branch or rank anywhere in the world!!!!! Bring the kids home and do away with war and this question would be moot!!! "IF it ain't broke DON"T fix it" by Brenda

Comment: Occasionally service members have to take community showers. If you are not gay, wouldn't you feel uncomfortable. by Glenn

Comment: first of all, this policy has worked for 17 years. not to mention that there is the petition that has been signed by over 1,000 high ranking officers in the military at this point pleading with this administration not to change the policy since it puts the military's over all strength at risk. would you put a good looking woman in the same bunk with a good looking man at war and expect them to function at peak performance? this is lunacy and political correctness at its most insane. by catherine

Comment: Just as we kick out people with race identity (klan and black panthers come to mind)B.S.. It wont end with them openly serving, they will always looking for any issue to push the chip on their shoulder. Wait till they insist that their bedfellows be covered as dependants, getting ID cards and other privelages. In a way it makes sense, with the politicos and military brass whoring themselve to get to were they are they oviously cant see the forest for the trees. Also,the two people interveiwed mentioned loss of Arabic translators. How can they serve in units in muslim countries, were what they do is a crime, someplaces it is even death? by Edwin

Comment: They are already serving may as well just be honest. They are not a threat to moral or cohesion. As for the gentleman who said he wouldn't want to bunk with a gay soldier... get real they aren't going to rape you! by SFC

Comment: It should always be that persons decision whether to say or not. I think people should mind ther own business only because I feel that is a personal matter. I would think that people intering a perfessional line of employment would conduct them selfs in such maner. by John

Comment: first of all its just not natural... god made man and woman for a reason... besides that no its going to be wierd for a straight guy to have to bunk with a gay guy.. its just wierd for alot of people who are religous... its in the bible. thats all i can say by alex

Comment: What people do behind their closed doors with their personal partners should be nothing to expose straight or gay. by Tina

Comment: They should ask and remove homosexuality from the service. There is no place in honorable military service for those who have no moral fiber. by Marc

Comment: Civilians should not mess with military policy. This should not be changed.

Comment: No, as a US soldier who had gays in his barracks i can say no one cares about their orientation. But what bothers most people is the thought of being in a shower with several other soldiers (the military has group showers) and you have another soldier looking at you and 'checkin' you out. So should gays be allowed to serve yes but the rules of conduct for them should be very strict. Mainly the fact that they hit on a soldier of the same sex that they need to accept the fact that people are straight and if they decide to keep trying to pursue a soldier that is not gay they are going have to accept the consequences of their actions.

Comment: I'm a retired Air Force member and I remember when President Clinton's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy was initiated. I have personally known and served along side with gays in uniform. I actually supervised a gay airman who was arrested for soliciting sex as a male prostitute in a Las Vegas hotel. He was caught in a sting operation by Las Vegas police detectives. After months of legal maneuvering, he was eventually discharged from the Air Force. You have to be insane if you don't believe gays/lesbians are currently serving in all branches of the military. by Gerald

Comment: I believe that they could still serve honorably by Frances

Comment: Gay people should have all the rights that any other American has and should not have to hide who they are. by Melanie

Comment: It would increase enlistment, now i believe regulations should be set as far as P.D.A. to preserve the honor and respect of the uniform. by James

Comment: I believe that since the Military cannot ask a person if he/she is GAY or not, then if he/she does not answer (which they don't have to do) then they are not lying about their preference and since thay are not (MADE) to serve in the military, then that negates the fact they are (MADE) to lie about whether they are gay/lesbian. I strongly believe that if this policy was in effect when I was serving my 20 plus years, I would not have stayed. I am sure there were some gay/lesbian during that period but we did not know it. They have a long way to prove to me you are born to be gay/leabian instead of you CHOOSING to be that way. Being bi-sexual also applies. I also wonder how many of those 10500 releases from Service were faked to get out of the Militsry after finding out they did not like it, or going into a combat zone, instead of toughing it out to the end of their enlistment. by Jim

Comment: If any said person is willing to defend our country, what difference should their sexual orientation make? by vanessa