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December 19, 1999

A little known aspect of the current furor over homosexuals in the military is the use of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy as a "get out of service free" card. Men and women in the service have learned that, if they want to quickly get out, all they have to do is declare that they are homosexual. They don't have to be, don't have to prove they are, all they have to do is say they magic words and they get a discharge. In some services, some 80 percent of separations for homosexuality are due to people just saying they are. There is much less stigma attached to making such a declaration, and no penalty for renouncing it once out on the street.