Publications

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One Year Out

Belkin, et al. | September 10, 2012

The first academic study of the effects of repealing “don't ask, don’t tell” has found that the new policy of open service has had no overall negative impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, recruitment, retention or morale. Co-authors of the study, whose publication coincides with the anniversary of DADT repeal, include professors at the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, and U.S. Marine Corps War College.

How We Won: Progressive Lessons from the Repeal of 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell'

Dr. Aaron Belkin | Huffington Post Media Group | September 10, 2011

Huffington Post Media Group has announced that its second ebook release, due Sept. 20, will be Aaron Belkin's book on the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell": How We Won: Progressive Lessons from the Repeal of ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' How We Won argues that lessons from the repeal campaign challenge some of the left's most entrenched conventional wisdom about how to successfully set social policy.

Assessing the integration of gays and lesbians into the South African National Defence Force

Aaron Belkin and Margot Canaday | January 12, 2011

This article draws together military and government documents, secondary research, press coverage and interviews with individuals with knowledge on this topic to assess the effects of open service in the South African National Defence Force. The evidence suggests that the integration of gay and lesbian personnel has not had a negative impact on recruitment and retention, morale, unit cohesion or operational effectiveness in the SANDF.

Military Training Can Be Accomplished Quickly

Aaron Freed | December 22, 2010

Using case studies of other Pentagon training efforts, this study shows that: the Pentagon can quickly train all personnel regardless of status or location (including combat zones); training is not prerequisite to a policy going into force; the repeal of DADT does not necessitate formal and elaborate training programs.

Palm Center Blog

	Indra Lusero
	May 16, 2013

Research Needed: Transgender Military Service

As the Director of the Transgender Military Initiative, I am thrilled to be commissioning 11 studies to enhance the quality of information available for evaluating transgender service in the United States military, and to address questions related to readiness, morale, welfare, personnel requirements and management.

Myths and Facts

What Does the Empirical Research Say about the Impact of Openly Gay Service on the Military?

Research on openly gay service is extensive, and includes over half a century of evidence gathered by independent researchers and the U.S. military itself, as well as the study of the experience of foreign militaries. The U.S. military’s own researchers have consistently found that openly gay service does not undermine cohesion, and the military has repeatedly sought to condemn or suppress these conclusions when they emerged. Yet no research has ever shown that open homosexuality impairs military readiness.

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