No military personnel have been removed for being openly gay or lesbian since the Obama administration announced in October that discharges would be carried out only with the approval of senior civilian officials in the Defense Department, according to Cynthia Smith, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

Overall, the number of discharges for 2010 is likely to be considerably lower than last year, when an estimated 428 military personnel were kicked out under the law, the fewest removals since it was enacted in 1993.

As a result, some believe that even if Congress does not rescind the statute this year, the law’s impact will continue to shrink, as has the resistance to serving with gays and lesbians among other members of the military.