Factbox: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; Gays in the Military

The repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy became official Tuesday after a two-month review period in Congress. Gay and lesbian military personnel can now openly reveal their sexual orientation without the fear of being discharged. Here are some facts you may have not been aware of concerning the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy and gays in the military.

* The policy was originally a compromise that allowed gays and lesbians to serve in the military but prohibited them from openly acknowledging their sexual orientation. President Bill Clinton had promised during his campaign to lift the ban on gays in the military.

* Military sociologist Charles Moskos authored the policy and is thought to have coined the term. Moskos was considered the preeminent authority on military sociology in the 1990s.

* Moskos was quoted in the academic journal Lingua Franca as saying "I should not be forced to shower with a woman. I should not be forced to shower with a gay." His comments outraged gay activists and his students at Northwestern University and cast doubt on Moskos' ability to decide military policy affecting homosexuals.

* Since the adoption of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in 1994 there have been over 13,000 military personnel discharged for infractions, according to The Associated Press.

* The number of discharges stemming from the policy peaked in 2001 at 1,273 but fell off sharply after 9/11.

* According to a poll conducted by CNN in November 2010, 72 percent of respondents were in favor of allowing openly gay soldiers to serve in the military. The results from a similar CNN poll in 1994 show only a 53 percent majority in favor.

* A panel of retired officers offered data to Congress in 2007 that showed there are approximately 65,000 gay and lesbian service members actively serving in the U.S. military and approximately 1 million gay and lesbian veterans living in the U.S.

* Prior to Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the Uniform Code of Military Justice was the policy governing the procedures for discharging gay service members.

* The act of sodomy has been grounds for discharge for the entire history of the American military. Lt. Gotthold Frederick Enslin was the first soldier to be discharged for the act of sodomy. Enslin was drummed out of camp and forced to wear his coat inside out.

* According to AP, "A report conducted by the University of California's Blue Ribbon Commission in 2006 concluded that the policy cost a total of $363.8 million over 10 years." The total was twice as much as originally reported by the Government Accountability Office, which emphasized the cost of replacing soldiers and neglected to take into account the value the military lost from the departures and other associated costs.

* Prior to the repeal Pentagon officials said that more than 1.9 million of the 2.2 million military personnel, active duty and reservists, had been trained in preparation for the end of the policy. Groups of 50 to 250 participated in training sessions that lasted between 45 minutes and 75 minutes.

* Military personnel in homosexual marriages are still prohibited from receiving federally funded benefits that are available to their heterosexual counterparts.

* According to a poll conducted by Zogby International in 2006, "37 percent of military personnel were opposed to gays serving in the military, 26 percent were in favor, and 37 percent expressed no opinion or were unsure."

* According to The New York Times, the Pentagon survey completed in 2010 reported that "70 percent of respondents would be positive, mixed, or have no consequence at all. However 60 percent of Marine Corps personnel said the consequences would be negative."

Additional Sources- Herek, Gregory. 'Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S. Military: Historical Background "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Revisited'