More lesbians discharged in 2007

WASHINGTON — The Army and Air Force discharged a disproportionate number of women in 2007 under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military, according to Pentagon statistics gathered by an advocacy group.

While women make up 14 percent of Army personnel, 46 percent of those discharged under the policy last year were women. And while 20 percent of Air Force personnel are women, 49 percent of its discharges under the policy last year were women.

By comparison for 2006, about 35 percent of the Army's discharges and 36 percent of the Air Force's were women, according to the statistics.

The information was gathered under a Freedom of Information Act request by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a policy advocacy organization.

The organization compiled gender statistics on the discharges but conducted no formal set of interviews and thus could offer no verifiable reason for the increase in women separated from the military under "don't ask, don't tell."

The Pentagon in recent days released overall numbers of discharges under the policy for 2007, without a breakdown by gender.

Overall, the number of gay men and lesbians discharged in 2007 rose to 627 from 612 a year before, according to Pentagon statistics. Those figures represent a drop of about 50 percent from a peak in 2001, before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to the statistics, the Army in 2007 discharged 302 soldiers under the policy, up from 280 the year before. The Air Force dismissed 91 people, down from 102 in 2006.

The Navy discharged 166, the same as in 2006. The Marine Corps discharged 68, up from 64 in 2006.

Pentagon officials could not explain why the numbers for women increased last year.