“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: The Law and U.S. Military Policy on Same-Sex Behavior

David F. Burrelli | Congressional Research Service | 2010-10-14

This report provides historical context around the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The policy holds that the "presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in same-sex acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion," according to the report. "Prior to the 1993 compromise, the number of individuals discharged for homosexuality was generally declining. Since that time, the number of discharges for same-sex conduct has generally increased until 2001. However, analysis of these data shows no statistically significant difference in discharge rates for these two periods."