The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network seventh report on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy shows a slight decrease in reported incidents of anti-gay harassment in the military for the year 2000, but shows that such harassment is still common in all branches of the service. Reports of harassment went from 986 in 1999 to 871 in 2000; the report suggests that an Army training program is largely responsible for the decrease in reported incidents. In fact, the Army experienced the largest decrease in anti-gay harassment complaints, from 276 in 1999 to 209 last year. Despite the slight decrease, military commanders continue to violate the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, actively investigating “suspicious” servicemembers. The report urges Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to develop disciplinary procedures for military personnel who “engage in, condone, or ignore anti-gay behavior.”
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