(Washington) A new report from the Urban Institute estimates that, by even conservative counts, 65,000 lesbian and gay Americans are serving in the United States Armed Forces, on active duty, in the reserves and the National Guard.

The report, Gay Men and Lesbians in the U.S. Military, using estimates from the 2000 Census 2000 found that the length of service for gay men is equal to their heterosexual colleagues, while lesbians typically serve longer than their straight counterparts.

The Institute is a non-partisan economic and social policy research organization.

"The positive contributions of 65,000 gay and lesbian Americans to our armed services and our national security cannot be ignored," said C. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director of Servicemembers Legal Defence Network (SLDN).

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