Pentagon Survey on Homosexuality in the Military Flawed: FRC

W. D.C., November 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A recently “leaked” military survey regarding the effects of allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the Armed Forces is deeply flawed, according to Family Research Council President and Marine Corps veteran Tony Perkins.

Late last month, news of a "leaked" Pentagon survey stirred media waters with the suggestion that a large number of service members were open to repealing the law banning open homosexuals from serving in the military.

But in an analysis released today, FRC said they found that the military member survey ignores important questions and fails to ask the central question of whether the current ban on open homosexuality should be overturned. It also fails to ask whether or not the respondent is a homosexual.

"Leading questions about a pre-determined result can hardly be called fair or scientific, which means Congress should greet this survey with a heavy dose of skepticism," said Perkins. "When only one-in-four service personnel even return the survey, this tells you something about the disregard most of those serving had for it."

Noting that a repeal "would have a drastic impact on unit retention, morale and readiness," Perkins called on Congress to "carefully scrutinize" the Pentagon's methodology and detailed results from the surveys, and discard unscientific or biased information. He also encouraged Congress to conduct its own independent survey.

Although a repeal is supposed to hinge upon the projected effect of such a change on military readiness, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen have already expressed support for the ideology behind overturning the law.

U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway, together with a former army legal chief and a group representing over 4 million military veterans and other groups, have expressed support for the current law.

"Our analysis shows that the President and the Pentagon have ignored the true opinions of service members, instead paying lip service to the President's pledge to conduct a study whose results were, on the basis of the kinds of questions asked and those avoided, never seriously in doubt," said Perkins.