During his campaign, Obama promised to end the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy which discriminates against openly gay or lesbian individuals. He has also implied several times that this decision would not come quickly, and that it would happen only after military personnel studied the issue. Today, the Boston Globe confirms this path as the likely course of action.
Apparently, in a few more months, Obama will formally instruct the military to study the implications on military discipline of having openly gay and lesbian members in the armed forces. Historically, the military has raised "discipline" (and morale) issues in order to justify the exclusion of gays and lesbians, racial minorities and women.
I imagine that the order to study the subject is really just a way to read the pulse of the military community, slow down the move to reverse the policy, think of a potential compromise, and to market the idea of lifting the ban to the public. Obama does not want the subject to explode as it did with Bill Clinton, and that is a good strategy. But this does not inspire confidence that much, if anything, will happen on the subject in the near future.
Related Readings on Dissenting Justice:
Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Hold Your Breath
Stonewalling on Don't Ask, Don't Tell? No Action Until 2010
Robert Gates as Obama's Secretary of Defense: "More of the Same" for Gay Rights
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