FRC: Homosexuals in Military Three Times More Likely to Commit Sexual Assault Than Heterosexuals

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May 26, 2010, 05:37 ET

Overturning Current Law Would Make Problem Worse

WASHINGTON, May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Family Research Council today released an analysis of publicly available documents which shows that homosexuals in the military are three times more likely to commit sexual assaults than heterosexuals are, relative to their numbers. This problem would only increase if the current law against homosexuality in the military, enacted in 1993, were to be overturned, as President Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress are attempting to do this week.

The FRC analysis, conducted by Senior Fellow for Policy Studies Peter Sprigg, was based on the Pentagon's own annual report on sexual assault in the military for Fiscal Year 2009, and on published decisions from military courts of appeals over the last decade and a half.

A review of the "case synopses" of all 1,643 reports of sexual assault reported by the four branches of the military for Fiscal Year 2009 (October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009) found that over eight percent (8.2%) of all military sexual assault cases were homosexual in nature. Yet homosexual activist groups themselves have admitted that less than three percent of Americans (2.8% of men and 1.4% of women) are homosexual or bisexual.

"Taken together, these figures suggest that homosexuals in the military are about three times more likely to commit sexual assaults than heterosexuals are," noted Sprigg. "Concerns about privacy when homosexuals share facilities like showers and sleeping quarters with heterosexuals are well grounded," he added.

"The report found that the most common type of homosexual assault is one in which the offender fondles or performs oral sex upon a sleeping victim."

"If open homosexuality is permitted in the military, these numbers will only increase," Sprigg warned. "The numbers of homosexuals in the military would grow, the threat of discharge for homosexual conduct would be eliminated, and protected class status for homosexuals would make victims hesitant to report assaults and make commanders hesitant to punish them."

"Congress should carefully consider these serious risks before short-circuiting the process of studying this issue. Congress should heed the advice of the four service chiefs who once again today urged Congress to back down until the military review is finished," Sprigg concluded.

The policy paper can be downloaded at http://www.frc.org/insight/homosexual-assault-in-the-military

SOURCE Family Research Council