Allies' stances cited in U.S. debate over gays in military

NEW YORK -- When it comes to dealing with gay personnel in the ranks, the contrasts are stark among some of the world's militaries -- and those differing approaches are invoked by both sides as Americans renew debate over the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

In the United States, more than 12,000 service members have been dismissed since 1994 because it became known they were gay. Current targets for discharge include a West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran, Army National Guard Lt. Dan Choi.

In Britain, on the other hand, uniformed gay and lesbian service members marched in the annual Pride London parade July 4. Gay Australian soldiers and sailors had their own float in Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras parade. In Israel, the army magazine earlier this year featured two male soldiers on the cover, hugging one another.

America's "don't ask, don't tell" policy -- which prohibits gays from serving openly -- is the target of intensifying opposition, and President Obama says he favors lifting the ban. But he wants to win over skeptics in Congress and the Pentagon, and a debate lies ahead that will likely touch on the experiences of allied nations that have no bans.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., the first Iraq war veteran elected to Congress, has launched a campaign for a bill to repeal "don't ask." He observed British troops in Iraq operating smoothly with a serve-openly policy and bristles at the contention that American forces would suffer morale and recruiting problems if they followed suit.

Israeli soldiers march in a gay pride parade June 25 in Jerusalem. Gays are permitted to serve openly in the Israeli military. (Tara Todras-Whitehill ~ Associated Press)

"I take it as a personal affront to our warriors," he said. "To say that other countries' soldiers are professional enough to handle this and American soldiers aren't is really a slap in the face."

Those seeking to preserve the U.S. ban question whether the allies' experiences have been as smooth as advertised and depict America's military as so unique that lessons from overseas should be ignored anyway.

"We are the military leaders in the world -- everybody wants to be like us," said Brian Jones, a retired sergeant major who served in the Army Rangers. "Why in the world would we try to adjust our military model to be like them?"

With such polarized views as a backdrop, Associated Press reporters examined how the militaries of Israel, Britain and Australia have managed with serve-openly policies.

n Israel: A nation in a constant state of combat readiness, Israel has had no restrictions on military service by gays since 1993.

In this June 11, 2009 photo, Israeli army Maj. Yoni Schoenfeld , right, holds hands with is partner Noam as they pose for a picture during an interview with the Associated Press in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Gays were permitted to serve even before then, but not in certain intelligence positions where, at the time, they were deemed possible security risks vulnerable to blackmail. Now, gays and lesbians serve in all branches of the military, including combat duty.

* Australia: In 1992, the Australian military's ban on gays and lesbians was lifted. The lifting of the ban was preceded by heated debate, yet the change itself was relatively uneventful.

Among opponents of the change at the time was Australia's main veterans group, which later withdrew its objections.

* Britain: British policymakers had been wrestling for years with whether to scrap a long-standing ban on gays in the military -- but the pivotal decision was made abroad, by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.

The court ruled in 1999 that Britain had violated the rights of four former service members who were dismissed for being gay and lesbian.