SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A new study conducted by the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, published by Parameters, the official journal of the U.S. Army War College, was cited in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with General Wesley Clark. Clark is considering a run for the White House. In the interview, conducted by host Tim Russert, Clark criticized the military’s ban on gay service members and said he would “absolutely” look at changing it.

Tim Russert: So you have no problem having openly gay Americans serving in the military as long as they abided by the same code of conduct that heterosexuals abided by?

Gen. Wesley Clark: Well, the British have a system that…. They call it … “Don’t ask, don’t misbehave.” I think the leaders in the armed forces will look at that some day. But I have to tell you, also, we have got a lot of other issues on the plate for the United States armed forces, and this is one among many. And the men and women charged with those responsibilities need to look at those issues. But this is only one issue.

TM: But it’s an important one to many Americans. Parameters, which is a journal published by the U.S. Army War College Quarterly, has an article by Professor Aaron Belkin of the University of California. He says that 24 countries now have gays in the military, most of our NATO partners. Would you allow American troops to serve in joint exercises with NATO partners that had gays in the military?

WC: They already are. And they served together in Kosovo and in Bosnia and so forth.

TR: That being the point, should the United States not allow openly gay people to serve in the military?

WC: Well, I think we need to charge the men and women responsible for the armed forces to come forward with that answer. I think that has to come from them based on what we need for the armed forces, as well as, you know, their concerns about society as a whole.

TR: But you’d look at changing the policy?

WC: Absolutely.

The Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military is an official research unit of the University of California, Santa Barbara.