Op-ed: How Facts and Figures Led to the End of DADT

[CoolBlue71]

A part of Nathaniel Frank's account of ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the improved status of marriage equality, is all about the formulation of the language. The strategy employed to effectively communicate that those with fears have nothing to fear from the LGBT community. In his Op-ed, at The Advocate's website, he writes why research of facts and the determination for change are two reasons why there is finally success. —CoolBlue71


Op-ed: How Facts and Figures Led to the End of DADT
Scholar Nathaniel Frank explains how cold, hard facts changed hearts and minds about gay rights in the military.

By Nathaniel Frank
Feb. 19, 2013 | http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2...s-led-end-dadt

As LGBT advocates continue to press their agenda forward, they rightly look back at the past to learn what works. While some view “the past” as meaning the start of the Obama administration, understanding the true, long-game strategy that was necessary to secure our advances in recent years is critical to building on those gains, both for LGBT issues and other kinds of progress.

Fortunately, some insight can be gained from a newly published academic volume that takes a deep look at the political history of “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT). The volume, a special issue of the Journal of Homosexuality, includes an article I wrote describing what I call “research advocacy”—the use of data and other evidence to gain visibility, credibility and action on LGBT issues. It was part of a twenty-year reframing campaign that LGBT advocates successfully used to make repeal of the military’s ban on openly gay service politically palatable once a friendly president and winnable Congress took power in 2009.

[rareboy]

A victory of math over emotion.

As they say...Keep Calm and Trust Nate Silver.

Ultimately this will probably be how victory is won across the US on all homo rights issues.