Troops OK With Gay Troops

— By Kevin Drum

| Wed Nov. 10, 2010 9:34 PM PST

This is unsurprising, but still welcome news:

A Pentagon study group has concluded that the military can lift the ban on gays serving openly in uniform with only minimal and isolated incidents of risk to the current war efforts, according to two people familiar with a draft of the report, which is due to President Obama on Dec. 1.
More than 70 percent of respondents to a survey sent to active-duty and reserve troops over the summer said the effect of repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy would be positive, mixed or nonexistent, said two sources familiar with the document. The survey results led the report's authors to conclude that objections to openly gay colleagues would drop once troops were able to live and serve alongside them.

Apparently the Marine Corps remains the biggest obstacle, but even there only 40% of all Marines are concerned about lifting the ban. That seems pretty manageable. I don't expect the reactionary right to change its tune on this regardless of the evidence, but this report might still be enough to break loose a few Republican votes for repeal of DADT in the lame duck session. Keep your fingers crossed.