Thesis Statement: Even though allowing open homosexual conduct in the Army is very polarizing. Should Soldiers be judged based on sexuality and does it affect your ability to serve the country? Abstract: It is certainly true that many service members do not want gays and lesbians to serve openly. But the question as laid out by the Joint Chiefs of Staff is whether integration would promote or harm military readiness and unit cohesion. Many politicians and military leaders believe that in actual combat situations, differences including those of sexual orientation were less of a problem than during peacetime. "When the bullets are flying, people tend to forget about what religion you are, what race you are, what you are up to or what you are doing, and it is a survival mode that takes over. Our military leaders believe that in those times of tremendous peril everybody will pull together, work together, and do what is best to survive.

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