A Whole New Can Of Worms

The reality of repealing DADT is that there are a host of new issues that allowing gays in the military to serve will create with the American public.  Absolutely it should be done, but the reality is that there's more to it that just repealing the measure.  TPM's Evan McMorris-Santoro dissects a new Q-poll on DADT, and discovers  America still suffers from homophobia. (emphasis mine):

Along partisan lines, Republicans oppose repeal of DADT, 53-40. They're the only partisan group that feels that way. Democrats favor repeal 72-23, and independents back repeal 56-37. Republicans are one of the view demographic groups to oppose repeal, the poll found. When broken down along education and income lines, Americans support the end of DADT. The only other demographic group to oppose repeal other than members of the GOP are evangelical Christians.

Military families are split on repealing the rule, with 48% favoring an end to DADT and 47% opposing it.

Should Congress repeal DADT as President Obama and military leaders have advocated, today's poll suggests new controversies about gays in the military. A 54-38 majority said homosexual soldiers should face "restrictions on exhibiting their sexual orientation on the job." A similar 50-43 majority said the government should not provide benefits to the partners of gay members of the military. Americans are split on whether gay and straight soldiers "should be required" to share quarters. Forty-six percent of respondents said that the military should not require combined quarters, while 45% said it should.

It's that partner benefit that's going to be the hardest slog.  Federal employees already get this benefit thanks to President Obama's executive order last June.  Military members on the other hand do not currently.  We'll see how far this gets, but the reality is everyone needs to be looking forward to the reality of military life after DADT is repealed and all the issues that need to be addressed, so that it can be done properly.