Speaking of the military... At the Sept. 22, 2011, GOP debate, a gay soldier serving in Iraq asked a question via video clip: Would the candidates 鈥渃ircumvent the progress鈥� gays and lesbians have made with the repeal of 鈥淒on鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell,鈥� a Clinton-era policy that had barred them from serving openly?
Before Santorum could reply, some audience members booed the gay soldier. Santorum went ahead with his response. (He later explained that he didn鈥檛 hear the booing, because he was thinking about what he would say.)
His first effort at an answer left some people scratching their heads: 鈥淎ny type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military,鈥� he said. Then he criticized the repeal of DADT, calling it an attempt to 鈥渋nject social policy鈥� into military policy.
鈥淲hat we're doing is playing social experimentation with our military right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that's tragic.鈥�
And yes, as president, he would reinstate DADT. But he would allow gay service members who had already come out to stay in the military. Sex 鈥渟hould not be an issue,鈥� he said. 鈥淟eave it alone, keep it to yourself, whether you鈥檙e a heterosexual or a homosexual.鈥�
Mitt Romney, in contrast, has said he would not restore DADT.
