Activists predict end to aay military ban
WASHINGTON (AP) — Opponents of the
military's ban on homosexuals and lesbians
in uniform are more confident than ever
thnt the prohibition will full.
It's just a matter of time, they say. point
ing to a confluence of signs. Including
—The introduction of legislation to kill
the policy;
—Rnleaso of a congressional study show
ing the high cost of drumming gays out of
the military;
—A promise by Democratic presidential
nominee Bill Clinton to repeal the ban if he
is elected;
—The scandal surrounding the Tuilhook
Association's 1991 convention.
"We've never been at this Juncture bo
foro," said TanyB Domi. legislative director
for the National Organization of (lay. Losbi
an and Bisexual Votorons. “We have a presi
dential nominee who has said he would re
peal the policy, a bill in the House, a bill in
the Senate. ... It is really, really remarkable
in terms of the history ol the issue just how
far wo have come "
The change could happen in several
ways: An act of Congress, the opinion of a
high court or an executive order signed by
the president. And while opponents don't
agree on how or when, they do concur that
the change is coming oven if Clinton
loses.
"The momentum is increasing as every
gay service member and every lesbian sol
dier comes forward, and we believe more
members of Congress are personally moved
by their stories," said Robert Bray, spokes
man for the National Cay and Lesbian Task
Force. "It is Imminent that this policy will
fall."
The defense department policy, which
begun during World War 11, states simply
that "homosexuality is incompatible with
military service" liocauso it undermines the
armed forces' ability to maintain gtxid order
and morale. The Pentagon offers no studies
or research to support the policy.
Soldiers and sailors can he dismissed not
only for homosexual conduct but also if
they "demonstrate a propensity to engage in
homosexual conduct," according to Penta
gon policy.
Some have fought their discharges in
court, arguing that the policy is unconstitu
tional, but only one soldier, Army Sgt Per
ry Watkins, has over won
The appeals court in Watkins' case rea
soned that he had been candid about ills ho
mosexuality from the start ol his career and
the Army had continued to re-enilst him
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the
We have a presidential
nominee who has said he
would repeal the policy, a
biU In the House, a bill In
the Senate.'
— Tanya Domi,
legislative director tor the National
Organization of Gay, Lesbian and
Bisexual Veterans
‘Army's appeal >mil Watkins aubaoquently
agrood to retire.
The Supremo Court has never accepted a
homosexual discharge caw; for review
A recent study hy theCeneral Amounting
Office found that the federal government
spent almost half a billion dollars holwnen
1 980 and 1990 to kick homosexuals out of
the service The costs Included recruiting,
training and replacing personnel.
Approximately 1.500 soldiers and sailors
are discharged annually for homosexuality,
the GAO found.
Some It) percent of the population is be
lleved to be homosexual and the military,
despite its unti-gay policy, is probably no
different, the report said.
Rep Patricia Sehroeder, D-Golo.. intro
duced a bill In May that would overturn the
ban. Last month. Sen Howard Metzen
haunt. D-Ohio, introdut ed it in the Senate
With only a few weeks remaining in the
H)2nd Congress, Sehroeder, a senior mem
ber of the House Armed Services Commit
tee, said she doubts there will lie hearings
on the trill in 1992. The measure has 72
House co-sponsors and seven in the Senate,
but has virtually no chance of passing in an
election year.
We obviously haven't had any votes on
any issues like this, In either the House or
the Senate, so it's hard to know where the
middle is." Sehroeder said
"The main attai ks on it have come from
the Hermans and the Cunninghams and peo
ple like that." she said, referring to Reps
Robert Homan and Randall Cunningham,
both conservative California Republicans
and members of the Armed Services panel
But the measure's strongest advocates suy
the bill's mere existence constitutes one
more weapon In a growing arsenal that will
Ire used to topple the Iran
"What it does is it serves us a very real
club," saxl Rep Ted Weiss, I) N Y , a long
limn gay-rights supporter "It lolls the de
feme department that If you don't do It
(overturn the bun), there Is the strong |kism
htllty that Congress will mandate It I don't
think, any agency likes to lx> in that kind of
position I think that they will lie reviewing
the policy."
But Schrocder disagreed
‘‘I think the Pentagon's pretty lockixi in."
she said. "I don't think they're going to do
anything unless the legislation passes "
She pointed to the case of Vice Adm Jack
Fottorman, who was removixl last month as
the Navy's chief of naval education and
training for allegedly protecting an enlisted
staffer accused of homosexual activity.
“Obviously, he thought this was pretty
stupid policy," Schrixidor s<nd "But they
so overreacted. Thoy've done more lo him
than they've done to people In Tail hook So
it kind of gives you a little window into
how passionately they feel about this ”
Fettnrman had developed the Navy ethics
training progntm prompted by the stand a I
surrounding the Septumlmr tout conven
tlon of the Tallhook Assoc: la lion. At that
meeting, naval aviators fondled and
stripped clothing from at least 2fi women,
many of them follow flyers
The Navy came under attack for its han
dling of the Investigation, which only iden
tified two suspects because officers would
not cooperate. The Defense Department's
Independent Inspector is condui ling a more
extensive investigation
(lay rights advocates sav the Tallhook
scandal has actually worked lo their advan
tage. by pointing up the fact that sexual
misconduct, not sexual orientation, should
be the issue
"Tallhook Is about conduct and the cover
up of had heterosexual conduct," said Tim
McF’eeley, executive director of the Human
Rights Campaign Fund, a gav lobby We're
trying to change a policy that rejects people
on the basis of who they are. not on what
they do And Tallhook underscores that es
sential difference, which is if people misbe
have In the military, whether they are ho
mosexual or whether they are heterosexual,
they should la< e the consequences
Lawrence Korb, former assistant defense
six.rotary for manpower in the Reagan ad
ministration who is now a scholar at the
Brankings Institution, said while the public
favors repealing the ban. he thinks Congress
will resist doing the job
"Congress doesn't want to mandate it lie
cause ihat's really kind of an executive
function." he said.
‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ author
strikes again with ‘Song’
PLEASANT HILL (AP) —
Ken Kesey saw his last novel
published 28 years ago, then
hopped a psychedelic bus for a
cross-country trip thut made
him a counterculture icon.
Since then, he's written mag
azine pieces, short fiction, a
script that re-examines the
long, strange trip on the bus
Further, and two children’s sto
ries. He's taught a writing class
at the University that produced
a collaborative novel. He's been
busted for pot, lost a son and
tweaked the nose of the Smith
sonian Institution.
Rut there was no now novel,
until this month's roloaso of
Sailor Song, a book. 10 years in
the making.
"During the writing of it I felt
like (lilting Emily BrontoT said
Kesey "This is a real old-fash
ionod form. But It Is sort of the
Vatican of the urt. Every once
in a while you've got to go get a
blessing from the pope."
Set in the futuru in a south
eastern Alaska fishing village.
Sailor Song is a story of love at
the end of the world
The hero is Ike Sallas, an El
vis look-alike and former se
cret-mission pilot who became
a radical environmentalist after
deciding his daughter's death
was caused by the chemicals
he'd been spraying as a crop
dustor.
It's u time when AIDS has
been conquered at the price of
Turn to KESEY. Page 10A
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