Many troops openly gay, group says

By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY
Army Sgt. Darren Manzella figured that stating he was gay on national television would surely get him booted from the military under the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
But Manzella has heard nothing in the three weeks since he told CBS' 60 Minutes that his fellow soldiers knew he was gay and the program aired a home video that showed him kissing a former boyfriend.

"I thought I would at least be asked about the segment or approached and told I shouldn't speak to the media again," says Manzella, 30, a medic who recently returned from Kuwait and plans to hold a news conference today in Washington to discuss the military's silence.

He says he is among a growing number of servicemembers who have told other troops and even commanders they are gay and have not been discharged.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a gay advocacy group, says it knows of about 500 gay troops who are serving openly without consequences. "That's the highest number we've ever been aware of," says SLDN spokesman Steve Ralls. "Their experiences point to an undeniable shift in the armed forces."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-01-07-gay-troops_N.htm

It's been what..6+ months? And hes STILL in. Transferred to NY as far as I've heard...Ft. Drum I believe.

I love how the pro-DADT people havnt jumped on Manzella, seeing how he is an OBVIOUS detriment to morale and unit cohesion.

Exactly. To this day, there hasn't been a case of a command getting in trouble for NOT enforcing DADT. I say they all rebel and not discharge anyone under DADT for an entire year and see just how much these people are hurting morale and unit cohesion.