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SEXUAL
ORIENTATION AND MILITARY PREPAREDNESS
An International Perspective
Conference,
Georgetown University Law Center
12th Floor, Gewirz Building, 120 F Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C.
6 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. - 12 March 2008
Sponsored
by the Office of the Dean,
the
International Law Society,the Military Law Society,
and Outlaw
PANEL
Descriptions
are for identification only. The panelists’ views
are their own, and do not necessarily represent the
views of their organizations or governments.
Moderator:
Thomas F. ("Tom") Field, Colonel, United
States Army (Retired);
currently Adjunct Professor of
Law, Georgetown University Law Center.
Australia:
Chief Petty Officer Stuart O'Brien, Directorate of
Navy Personnel Research, Canberra
Canada:
Michelle Douglas, Director, International Relations
Group, Department of Justice, Ottawa
Great Britain:
Lieutenant Commander Patrick Lyster-Todd, Royal Navy
(Retired)
Israel:
Avner Even-Zohar, Captain, Israel Defense Forces
(1987-1993);
currently Professor and Chair of the
Department of Hebrew Studies, Monterey, California USA
Critique:
Opposition speaker. (Invited)
Reception
Afterward
Please send RSVPs
to:
Military.Preparedness.Conference@gmail.com
AGENDA FOCUS QUESTIONS
I. THE EFFECTS OF OPEN SERVICE ON
MILITARY PREPAREDNESS
1. Briefly, when, how, and why did your country
move to permit open military service by gay and
lesbian individuals?
2. What do you see as the positive and negative
consequences of that decision? To the extent possible,
please provide examples.
3. Fears are sometimes expressed that open service
by gay and lesbian individuals might (a) cause other
servicemembers to terminate their service, (b) destroy
unit cohesion, (c) increase the spread of sexually
transmitted diseases, (d) give rise to favoritism and
tension in military units, and (e) decrease military
preparedness and fighting power. In your experience,
how realistic are these concerns?
4. A frequent but often unspoken concern is that
the lack of privacy associated with military life --
including showers and cramped living facilities --
makes it difficult for straight and gay military
personnel to serve together. How real are these fears?
5. Are there more or fewer incidents of sexual
harassment, gay bashings, and similar events as a
result of open service in your military?
6. In your military, are gay and lesbian
servicemembers placed in units that do not deploy, or
otherwise treated differently from other troops?
7. What have been the effects of open service
initiatives on military recruitment and retention? Are
figures available detailing those effects?
II. THE TRANSITION TO OPEN MILITARY SERVICE
8. Once the decision was made to allow open
military service by gay and lesbian individuals in
your country, what specific steps were taken by the
military to facilitate compliance with that decision?
Which of those steps worked well? Which did not?
9. Are any ongoing initiatives currently underway
in your country to facilitate open military service by
gay and lesbian individuals? Are any future
initiatives planned?
10. What legal, scholarly or other resources should
be consulted by individuals who wish to learn more
about military service by gay and lesbian individuals
in your country?
Please send RSVPs to: Military.Preparedness.Conference@gmail.com
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