Blog post

UC Santa Barbara Research Project
Posted by IAVA Staff on March 3

Below is a request from a researcher at UC Santa Barbara.

CALL FOR INTERVIEWS

Greetings.  I am a University of California researcher who is writing a book on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military, to be published in 2009 by St. Martin's Press.

I am soliciting input from service members on a wide range of experiences and opinions about this policy.  I have interviewed scores of policy makers, military officials and gay troops, and I am particularly interested in hearing from straight service members-whether your opinion of gay service is positive, negative or neutral-but I'd also welcome additional stories from gay troops.

If you are interested in sharing with me your thoughts or experiences with the ban on openly gay service members, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.  Your contact with me can be totally anonymous if you want.  It can range from a simple email describing your thoughts or experiences (please specify permission to use your material in my book) to a more in-depth email exchange or phone conversation.

Below is some information about me and the book.  As you'll see, I have published widely on "don't ask, don't tell" and I can assure you I will respect your confidence if you request it.  Please email me at:

frank@palmcenter.ucsb.edu

Thank you.

Dr. Nathaniel Frank
Senior Research Fellow
Palm Center
University of California, Santa Barbara

About the Book:

Let Them Tell (St. Martins, 2009) builds on arguments I have made in the New York Times, Washington Post, The New Republic and on national television and radio appearances, to share the rich, varied and dramatic stories of America's gay troops, including those on the frontlines of the wars in the Middle East.  Drawing on hundreds of exclusive interviews, the book presents the latest research and over a decade of evidence on gay service showing that gays can and do serve openly in the U.S. military, and that the policy itself may be harming the military it was supposed to protect.  Poised to become the definitive story of "don't ask, don't tell," Let Them Tell is a lively and compelling narrative that is sure to make the blood boil of any American who cares about national security, the right to speak the truth, or just plain fairness.

  

About the Author:

Dr. Nathaniel Frank is Senior Research Fellow at the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an adjunct professor of history at New York University.  Perhaps the most widely published journalist on the military's current policy on gay troops, Dr. Frank first broke the story of Army purges of gay Arabic translators in The New Republic.  His publications on gays in the military and other topics have also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Slate, Newsday, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, Lingua Franca and In These Times.  He has been interviewed for national television and radio programs, including ABC's "Good Morning America," the "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," NPR's "Talk of the Nation," "CBS News on Logo" and MSNBC's "Abrams Report."  He has also consulted with ABC's "20/20" and CBS's "60 Minutes." Dr. Frank's research and opinions have been cited on the Congressional floor, in syndicated columns, in the blogosphere, the New York Post, The Advocate, National Review Online, the AP, BBC and other venues, including college syllabi and media roundups.  

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