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Another proposal is to delay lifting the ban due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
Separate gay showers?
Pentagon considers separate showers for gay soldiers
The Pentagon's internal discussions on how it is to implement President Obama's campaign pledge to lift the ban on gay people serving in the military have included the proposals that it should be delayed and that there should be segregation.
According to the New York Times, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has debated with the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines on the timing of any repeal and how much stress it would place on the services.
A memorandum intended as a discussion point for the meeting suggested that the chiefs could adopt the position that "now is not the time" because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and that the repeal process should be delayed until 2011.
But it also said that "every indicator of opinion over the past sixteen years shows movement toward non-discrimination based on orientation" and that "in time the law will change."
Under the current "don't ask, don't tell" law, gay men and lesbians may serve in the military only if they keep their sexual orientation secret.
Regardless of the timing, an anonymous military official said that the Department of Defense was beginning to consider the practical implications of a repeal. Proposals include separate showers and locker rooms for gay personnel and a ban on public displays of affection on military bases.
