In 1982 Nunn summarily removed two openly gay attorneys in his staff because, as Nunn asserted, they posed a "security risk." However, Nunn also told them that a gay staff member "wouldn't go over in Georgia."

In 1984 Nunn backed Senator John Glenn's bid for the White House, citing the candidate's "courage" in expressing the "strongly held moral belief that homosexuals should not be role models for our children."

In 1993 - Don't Ask Don't Tell: Nunn became the leader of the few Congressional Democrats to challenge President Clinton's initiative to allow gay men and lesbians to serve in the military. With television cameras in tow, Nunn led the famous visit to the showers and bunks of a submarine. The damage of Nunn's position extended beyond the LGBT community, undermining the first Democratic presidency since 1980.

In 1993 Nunn said he believed the heterosexual lifestyle was "morally superior to the homosexual lifestyle," followed by "American family deterioration is one of the biggest problems we face in our culture."

In 1996 Nunn voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), despite that he had already announced that he was not running for reelection. ENDA did not pass by one vote. ENDA has not been voted again in the senate ever since.