Lesbians Bear Brunt of Military Discharges

(CBS/AP)  Pentagon statistics obtained by University of California researchers show that lesbians were discharged under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy at a much higher rate than gay men.

Every military branch dismissed a disproportionate number of women in 2008 under the policy banning openly gay servicemembers. But the discrepancy was particularly marked in the Air Force, where women were a majority of those let go under the policy, even though they made up only 20 percent of personnel.

Across the military, women represented about one-third of the 619 people discharged based on sexual orientation. They account for just 15 percent of servicemembers.

The data was released Thursday by the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Meanwhile, a Lieutenant Colonel who taught at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs was barred from teaching after she invited three Academy alumni to campus to discuss sexual minorities in the military, the Palm Center reported. The professor, Lt. Col. Edith A. Disler, said that the classroom visit was approved by her course director, but Academy officials pulled her from the classroom anyway, launching an investigation that ended in a formal reprimand based on the subject matter discussed.

"We have always known that women are disproportionately affected by 'don't ask, don't tell,'" said Dr. Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center. "But the Air Force data are particularly troubling and raise questions about why women might be targeted there for persecution under the current policy. Lt. Col. Disler's experience with censorship at the Air Force Academy adds urgency to the need to assess the command climate in the Air Force, as well as to the need to re-examine the costs of 'don't ask, don't tell' more broadly."

[DaVicar8]

One would think that lesbians could find more lucrative employment than serving in the military. Internet videos is the first thing that comes to mind...

[liselle3]

What a bunch of stupid and ignorant comments!

[Ichabod09]

"What a bunch of stupid and ignorant comments!"

Good for you! Being able to admit that you have a problem is the first step towards rehabilitation.

[Ichabod09]

"Lesbians Bear Brunt of Military Discharges" Wow, does that statement have potential for misinterpretation.

[kansas1946]

LOL. You are so right. Speaking of "discharges." That is probably why so many lesbians are kicked out. They aren't the least bit interested in sleeping with their commanding officer and he is MAD.

[Phoenix_Blue]

What the Palm Center didn't report is that the lieutenant colonel who was pulled out of the classroom was removed because she violated orders with regard to inviting potentially controversial guest speakers. Invitations for speakers who might be in controversial in any way have to go up to the vice dean of faculty, not just the course director.

There might not have been a problem with the speakers -- in fact, it might well have been okay had she asked the right people. But she didn't, and the Academy investigated because some of the cadets in her class complained.

[jsf14]

So was her course director also reprimanded? "[T]he classroom visit was approved by her course director." BTW, what is a "course director"?

[Phoenix_Blue]

A course director is, to my understanding, someone who's responsible for writing the synopsis and administering the course, especially for courses that have more than one instructor. As to whether her course director was reprimanded, no idea -- people in the military who are reprimanded usually don't make a habit of sharing it with the media.

[barbaram99]

Men also yak as well. They want troops and they boot out the ladies and transgendered. I have met males who would not cut their hair and remove the ear rings to go in the service. Let them serve as the ladies want to be in the service. If gay women can't serve then the gay mrn should not. They want troops to go fight then they both go.

[Questionews]

Men don't call it "Yak".
Yak, to men, is something that you do in the backseat of a buddy's car after drinking too much.

[Questionews]

It must be the mustaches giving them away.