May 2005

 

 

When it comes to gays, lesbians and bisexuals in uniform “the policy of pretending” doesn’t work, according to New Zealand diversity consultant Eugene Moore. 

 

In the midst of a major war effort, bipartisan political support is growing in the US for an openly gay-friendly military through the repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy. Mr Moore agrees the war-footing timing of the US drive is no coincidence, saying that the drive to purge gay people from the military decreases markedly “when there is a need for gay people.”

 

Since it began in the Clinton era, ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ has resulted in the discharge of nearly 10,000 gay men and women from the US military, at a cost of over $200 million. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act before the House of Representatives aims to repeal the ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel. It has gained the support of 73 Members of Congress, including three Republicans.    

 

There has also been further in-house lobbying within the US House Armed Services Committee to review the military ban on openly lesbian, gay, and bisexual personnel.

 

“In the New Zealand military we’ve gone way past that”, says Mr Moore. In 2001 the Royal New Zealand Navy won a Manaaki Tangata Work-Life Balance Award from the EEO Trust for work on creating a gay-friendly environment. Mr Moore’s consultancy firm Full Spectrum was instrumental in this process. As well as helping with reforms in the Royal New Zealand Navy, Full Spectrum has provided major anti-homophobia learning tools for the Royal Australian Navy, and is currently in discussions with the UK Navy.

 

“New Zealand has a lot to be proud of,” according to Mr Moore. “We have absolutely fantastic leadership… in the top brass normally there’s not a clear understanding. For example, when the UK was forced to drop their ban on gay personnel due to the Human Rights ruling in Belgium, the brass thought ‘we have to write rules on where people are allowed to have gay sex!’ They thought it was about sex. It’s not, it’s about people being able to tell the truth.”