The Palm Center, which has done heroic work to get Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell repealed, by studying and sharing how other countries’ militaries have succeeded with open service and by documenting the implications of DADT repeal, has a new website you might want to check out.

You may have heard that Defense Secretary Robert Gates declared that the suspension of the gay ban “has enormous consequences for our troops.” The Palm Center clearly believes it’s important to track those Enormous Consequences, so they’ve named an entire webpage just that.

At Enormous Conquences, the Palm Center monitors how many hours, minutes and seconds have passed since the United States military announced they would comply with Judge Virginia Phillips’ order to stop enforcing DADT worldwide. There’s a clock atop the website that tracks how much time has passed. As I type this, it’s a little past 126 hours; if you like, click over to see how long it’s been.

Before you go there, though — I should prepare you. The Palm Center also provides a list of the Enormous Consequences that have come to pass since the US Military obeyed Judge Phillips and stopped enforcing DADT. It’s pretty shocking, so I’ll simply reproduce it here:

Consequences of Allowing Gays to Serve Openly ——– Reported Incidents

Unit cohesion problems ……………………………………………………….. 0
Disciplinary problems …………………………………………………………. 0
Resignations …………………………………………………………………… 0
Privacy problems ………………………………………………………………. 0
Other problems ………………………………………………………………… 0

Pretty horrifying, huh?

You’ll be pleased to know that Ace McCain will keep his filibuster skills in shape; he announced today that he’ll “absolutely filibuster” a repeal of DADT if it comes up during the Lame Duck Congress after Election Day next month. I hope he uses the Palm Center’s chart of Enormous Consequences on the Senate floor to illustrate why he’s opposed to repeal.

Maybe it’s time for Barack Obama to find himself another GOP Defense Secretary, one who has a better sense of the consequences of repeal of DADT. Because I don’t think Enormous means what Robert Gates thinks it means.

PS: For any servicemembers reading this, please note my standard caveats, despite the Pentagon’s announcement that they are following Judge Phillips’ court order:

NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

DO NOT COME OUT AT WORK OR TO WORK COLLEAGUES.

STRAIGHT ALLIES WHO SHARE YOUR SECRET NEED TO STFU.

Thank you.