Ten years after ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ more work remains

This month marks 10 years since Congress passed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Implemented on Feb. 28, 1994, DADT was one of the final policies of the Cold War-era “gay purges” of federal employees and, though its repeal was a major step forward for the military, its effects are still felt today. In both the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the legacy of DADT deserves greater recognition and redress.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” epitomizes what The Harvard Business Review calls “The Cost of the Closet”: lifelong penalties in mental health, earnings, savings and retirement. Even in 2020, more than half of LGBTQ Americans conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace. That contributes to increased workplace stress and makes bonding with colleagues more difficult, often preventing LGBTQ people from reaching senior management and leadership positions. While many LGBTQ Americans today pay the same cost, DADT unduly burdened those who served in uniform from 1993 to 2011. Many of those who served under DADT are still on active duty alongside 250,000 LGBTQ servicemembers or the more than 1.5 million LGBTQ veterans who receive care through the VA.

The federal government has an obligation to all who “bore the battle” and paid “the cost of the DADT Closet.” It also has a duty to get policy right for the All-Volunteer Force of Generation Z, with more than one-third identifying as LGBTQ. To meet the responsibility for the more than 1 million LGBTQ veterans in the United States and to close the policy gap for the future there are three key steps: study the effects of DADT, meet the health needs of LGBTQ veterans, and end discrimination in our military and at VA facilities.

First, like any medical condition arising from time in the armed forces, the government should understand the problem’s scope, arrange care, and compensate. A good start would be to fund a private pilot study through a trusted academic and medical institution that could speak to both the consequences of military service and being LGBTQ in American society. A study of 1500 veterans would provide a framework for a more in-depth study of a broader population and a way to demonstrate trustworthiness for future studies with greater participation from LGBTQ veterans. That framework of issues can interface with the VA disability rating system through an independent review board, providing a vehicle to improve VA care and better recognize the unique challenges of veterans.

Second, the life-long consequences of serving under DADT likely extend beyond simple policy repeal. The enforcement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” did unmeasured harm to selves, careers, and intimate relationships. The Department of Veterans affairs recognizes that, as a result of “stigma, stress, and discrimination,” LGBTQ veterans “face increased health risk and unique challenges in health care.” The government’s response to these harms should be met by adequate funding from Congress to establish VA as the nation’s leading source of health care for LGBTQ veterans, including culturally-competent care providers and better accountability for how VA health care systems administer to LGBTQ veterans across America.

Third, after four years of public contempt for LGBTQ servicemembers and veterans from the Trump administration, ending discrimination must become a focus of both the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs moving forward. Though DADT repeal was a critical first step, it left unchecked individual biases, customs, and behaviors that prevent LGBTQ servicemembers from being recruited, retained, and promoted, which is in America’s strategic interests. It also prevents too many LGBTQ veterans from accessing the benefits that they have earned in VA facilities where they may fear the same “stigma, stress, and discrimination” they felt under DADT. Departments committed to ending discrimination, demonstrating dignity and respect for LGBTQ veterans and servicemembers would help align the All-Volunteer Force with the rising generations of Americans.

Ten years ago, the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was a great victory for the nation and its armed forces. It ended the steep “cost of the closet” that LGBTQ Americans were forced to pay to wear the cloth of this nation. It made the military a stronger force more representative of and true to the country it serves. But it was only the first victory that must be won. Through full study of and compensation for the long-term effects of DADT, the United States can better serve both current servicemembers and veterans, setting a course for a better future.

Patrick J. Murphy is a former Under Secretary of the Army, the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress (PA-01), and both the author and champion of the legislation that would become the official repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Luke Schleusener is the president and co-founder of Out in National Security, a Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project, and former speechwriter to Defense Secretaries Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, and Ash Carter.