• 01.13.2005
GAY LINGUISTS DISMISSED FROM MILITARY
John Files, New York Times
(Original)

The military has discharged 20 service personnel who spoke or had studied Arabic for being gay since 1998, according to new data from the Pentagon. Gay rights advocates argue that the dismissals run counter to a critical shortage of translators and interpreters needed for the war on terrorism. Pentagon officials had previously reported that nine Army linguists, including six trained in Arabic, had been discharged under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif.