A few months after advocates for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” criticized the Defense Department’s survey as biased against homosexuals, the Family Research Council has also openly criticized the same survey from the opposite side of the issue.

One of the FRC’s main criticisms is that the Department of Defense never asked members or their families (the two survey groups) if DADT should be repealed.  From the beginning, military leadership has emphasized the survey presumed it would be.

Recently, news reports “leaked” the “results” that the survey

found that most U.S. troops and their families don’t care whether gays are allowed to serve openly and think the policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” could be done away with…

As the FRC report notes, the surveys asked no such questions.  However, it is possible to arrive at that conclusion by, as the FRC says, “manipulating” the questions and responses.

The questions are stated in such a manner that responses can easily be manipulated to paint a picture that open homosexuality…is a neutral factor or widely tolerated…For example, the survey asks respondents to identify the “top three factors that enable you to fulfill your mission during combat?”

Now, how do you think the average military member would answer that question given that the list of answers

includes “individual unit members’ technical capabilities,” “unit morale,” “clear task objectives,” and “having officers who lead by example.”

As the FRC notes,

“Having only heterosexual members in the unit” is one of thirteen choices. But respondents unfamiliar with the potential damaging impact of open homosexuality on small units would unlikely select that factor [in contrast with the others].

It is not unforeseeable that few people put “only heterosexual members” above “technical capabilities” when it comes to fulfilling a mission.  Thus, the responses to this question could be (improperly) used to justify a conclusion that homosexuality isn’t “that important” to mission fulfillment.

Questions of logistics — how will homosexuals be roomed?, for example — have been among the most frequently cited in the media.  The FRC notes the survey questions on “privacy” were also asked with “leading” answers:

“Leave the service” is not a response on the survey; rather, the choices all favor accommodation such as “take no action” and “use the shower at a different time than the service member I thought to be gay or lesbian.” (emphasis added)

Again, if all survey responses seem “accommodating” — because there were only accommodating choices — the survey question could be used to justify an improper conclusion.

The FRC also highlights the fact the survey misses some of the most-cited potential issues with military service by open homosexuals:

The survey completely ignores issues of freedom of religion and speech for those who have moral or religious concerns about homosexual conduct, and it also ignores the impact on chaplains.

The survey itself has had critics from all sides.  Like some statistics, it is likely the survey will be able to be cherry-picked to support both, and neither, position on the future of military service by open homosexuals.  It appears the survey will do little to alter whatever course may be set for Congress’ actions on DADT.