Charmion: "they keep their mouths shut at work or face disciplinary proceedings under a fairly draconian harassment policy."

It's hardly a draconian policy if it can be justified in a free and democratic society, which it has. It is enforced fairly stringently, though--I speak as one who had to investigate harrassment allegations. :(

For most people serving, the attitude to the change in policy concerning sexual orientation was best typified by the petty officer whom reporters buttonholed on his way out of the Halifax dockyard seeking reaction to the statement that homosexuality was now permitted in the Forces: "I don't care as long as they don't make it mandatory."