Professor Belkin Comments on U.S. Military Three Years After 'Don't Ask, Don’t Tell'

IDN-IN DEPTH NEWS -- The story of the military’s acceptance of openly-serving gays and lesbians, though, is still one of transition — as I found during recent weeks speaking with dozens of gay and straight service members — from each of the military branches, at bases across the country. “It’s basically been three years of silence, which is a good thing,” summed Aaron Belkin, a San Francisco State University professor and executive director of The Palm Center, which has studied gay and lesbian integration in the armed forces. “About a thousand retired generals and admirals had signed a statement before Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal,” recalled Aaron Belkin, “claiming that if the military repealed the policy, then the All-Volunteer force would fall apart.”