Gay and lesbian troops will be protected by new Pentagon policy

Tom Vanden Brook | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Tuesday that gay and lesbian troops for the first time will be protected from discrimination by the same equal opportunity policy that protects other servicemembers.

Carter announced the change at the Pentagon's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride event.

The change ensures that gay and lesbian troops' complaints about discrimination based on sexual orientation will be investigated by the Military Equal Opportunity program, the same office that handles complaints based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

"Discrimination of any kind has no place in America's armed forces," Carter said. The military needs "to be a meritocracy."

The Pentagon rescinded its "don't ask, don't tell" policy in 2011. Under it, gay and lesbian troops could be kicked out of service if their sexual orientation became known.

"With this policy revision, we are now ensuring that servicemembers are afforded protection against discrimination in the department's military equal opportunity program, provided to all military members," said Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Christensen, a Pentagon spokesman.

Previously, gay and lesbian troops were required to register discrimination complaints with inspector general offices.

Carter called diversity critical to developing the troops the Pentagon will need for future battles. Excluding qualified troops, he said, is "bad defense policy."

Carter spoke before a standing-room-only crowd of troops from each service, from enlisted personnel to general officers and top civilian officials.

Amanda Simpson, the highest-ranking transgender official at the Pentagon, told the audience she has her Army post not because of her gender but "because I happen to be the best person to do the job."

The military still can kick out transgender troops for what it terms health reasons. However, the Army and the Air Force have made that process more difficult by requiring senior civilian officials to approve the discharges. The Williams Institute, a think-tank at the UCLA Law School that concentrates on issues regarding sexual orientation, estimates there are 15,000 transgender troops serving in the military.

A review of military health policies, including the transgender ban, is underway, Christensen said.

"The current periodic review is expected to take between 12-18 months; it is not a specific review of the department's transgender policy," Christensen said.

Before dumping the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly, the Pentagon conducted a nine-month study on the effect of rescinding it. That effort, led by Army Gen. Carter Ham in 2010, determined that the risks of repeal were low and manageable.

Army Brig. Gen. Randy Taylor, who emceed Tuesday's ceremony, said he had to conceal his sexual orientation for most of his career, which included deployments to Somalia, Haiti, Afghanistan and Iraq. Taylor singled out his husband for his sacrifice, and Carter shook his hand to loud applause.