According to a report in the International Herald Tribune, the absence of a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has had no significant impact on troops in Great Britian:
Since it began allowing gays to serve in the armed forces in 2000, none of the British military's fears - about harassment, discord, blackmail, bullying or an erosion of unit cohesion or military effectiveness - has come to pass, according to the Ministry of Defense, current and former members of the services, and academics specializing in the military. The biggest news about the policy, they say, is that there is no news. It has for the most part become a nonissue.
The Ministry of Defense does not compile figures on how many gays are openly serving, and says that the number of people who have come out publicly in the past seven years is still relatively low. But it is clearly proud of how smoothly gays have been integrated and is actively trying to make life easier for them.
"What we're hoping to do is to, over a period of time, reinforce the message that people who are gay, lesbian and the like are welcomed in the armed forces and we don't discriminate against them in any way," a Defense Ministry official said in an interview, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with ministry practice.
Click here to read the entire article, which also tells how careful the British government is to not be seen as trying to influence the policy toward gay soldiers in the United States military.
Thanks to Average Gay Joe for the tip.
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