"We're talking about how do we move forward on this, achieve this objective which is changing the policy."

Gates added: "What I discovered when I got into it was it's a very restrictive law. It doesn't leave much to the imagination, or a lot of flexibility."

The defense secretary said one possible modification might be consider the circumstances under which a service member is "outed" in determining whether or not he or she must leave the military.

Gates offered as an example "when we're given information from someone with vengeance in mind or blackmail, somebody who has been jilted.

"If somebody is outed by a third party, does that force us to take action?" he said.

"That's the kind of thing we're looking at -- seeing if there's a more humane way to apply the law until it gets changed."

I sincerely pray that Mr Gates and President Obama mean what they say about finding a more humane way to handle things UNTIL the DADT rule is abolished.  Otherwise, the only way to be more humane is with a rule that -- if caught in the ACT of having sex while ON DUTY/IN THE FIELD you are immediately RELIEVED of your duties....PERIOD.  That should go for ANY kind of sex (homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual).

Saying you are one way or another sexually, or even being accused of having a certain orientation is NOT reason enough to discharge or fire somebody.  Unless that person is HARMING or infringing on the rights of another human being -- there should be NO rules on what TYPE of sex you like or WHO you love or date.  If you are off duty, off the field, out of the office, etc... what the HELL does it matter what you do and with whom.

PERIOD!!

This is pathetic and should END right now.  Soldiers of all sexual orientation and all sexes are either dying or suffering from injuries while at war and here we are, COMMON ordinary citizens arguing over what 'we think' is best for those same soldier's SOCIAL LIVES????