DADT: The "Survey"

Here's the DoD DADT survey as I've been able to find it online.

(Updated) 2010 DoD Comprehensive Review Survey of Uniformed Active Duty and Reserve Service Members

Here are some reactions, via Pam's House Blend. And from Servicemebers United, this statement:

“While it remains safe for gay and lesbian troops to participate in this survey, it is simply impossible to imagine a survey with such derogatory and insulting wording, assumptions, and insinuations going out about any other minority group in the military,” said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and a former U.S. Army interrogator who was discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” “Unfortunately, this expensive survey stokes the fires of homophobia by its very design and will only make the Pentagon’s responsibility to subdue homophobia as part of this inevitable policy change even harder. The Defense Department just shot itself in the foot by releasing such a flawed survey to 400,000 servicemembers, and it did so at an outrageous cost to taxpayers.”

Nicholson added, “Flawed aspects of the survey include the unnecessary use of terms that are known to be inflamatory and bias-inducing in social science research, such as the clinical term ‘homosexual;’ an overwhelming focus on the potential negative aspects of repeal and little or no inclusion of the potential positive aspects of repeal or the negative aspects of the current policy; the repeated and unusual suggestion that a co-worker or leader might need to ‘discuss’ appropriate behavior and conduct with gay and lesbian troops; and more.”

My Internet connection is going out sporadically this morning, so I'll probably have more to say once I get a chance to read the survey, but from what I've ween, Nicholson's correct -- this is a sham. One of the commenters at PHB called it "push polling," which is what it looks like to me. If your connection's more stable than mine, take a look and leave a comment.

There is one bright spot in this, however. From Denver Post:

The officer said he had already seen several chain e-mails mocking the survey's language and questions. He also said several groups asked to provide input on the survey before it was released but were turned down.

"It's being made fun of," the officer said. "The reaction to the survey from the troop level is showing how out of touch leadership is from the subject."

More later -- I'm also trying to defrost the freezer and put CDs away.

Oh, and one other bright spot: Alexander Nicholson. He can share my shower any time.

Update: OK, the freezer's defrosted, the CDs are put away, and the connection seems to have stabilized. I read the survey, and most of it's inoffensive enough, if you can get past the "need" to ask these questions at all. The revealing section starts on page 24 and includes all the questions that people are objecting to -- and they are thoroughly objectionable. (What is this fascination that the Pentagon brass has with men in showers?)

By the way, I understand that the contractor that designed this study is a reputable firm that does very good work. I have no doubt that they did exactly what they were asked to do.