Senate, sailors discuss gay ban NORFOLK (AP) — One sailor said he would refuse lo serve alongside homosexuals. Anoth er worried the Navy might become fragmented and demor alized. And a gay officer said such attitudes reflect unreason able fear The Senate committee pon dering the ban on gays in the military took its inquiry to the decks of U S. warships Monday to seek the views of rank-and file sailors. They listed heavily in favor of keeping the ban. The issue "is just rocked with detriment.” Tommy Taylor, chief of the submarine USS Bal timore. told members of the Armed Services Committee dur ing a field hearing at Norfolk Naval Base. "You’re going to go right to the readiness of the Navy." Petty Officer 2nd Class Al Portes said he was surprised President Clinton is trying to keep his campaign promise to let gays serve openly. "I will refuse to serve with gays in the military." he pledged. I.t. j.g. Tracy Thorne, a Navy aviator who disclosed his homo sexuality a year ago. countered that "prejudice can never Ite val idated by majority consent." The panel, headed by Sen. Sam Nunn. D-Ga., listened to speaker after speaker list reasons why the ban should remain. Objections ranged from privacy to unit morale to the inherent restrictions in military life. It's not right I'm telling von it's not compatible to military service." said Atlantic Fleet Master Chief Ronald Carter However, a homosexual who was relieved of duty as a supply officer on the submarine USS Hammerhead said many of his fellow officers knew he was gay before he went public with it. "I served on a submarine, and it did not destroy unit cohesivo noss,” said i.t. j.g Richard Dirk Selland. The senators spent the morn ing visiting the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy and sever al other vessels, examining the close quarters and speaking with sailors at random ns they went along. Gays would lie "harassed or shunned, and they won't be part of the unit as a whole." Petty Officer Scott Wilkinson, a nuclear reactor operator on the submarine USS Montpelier, told Nunn and Sen. John W. Warner. R-Vn.. during lunch aboard the ship. "It really would just disrupt everything, basically, we live on the ship, not just work on the ship." said Joe Degauttola, a sea man on the Kennedy. Brian Hlackmore, an aviation technician on the Kennedy, said he didn't want to know some one's sexual orientation. "If you're gay. you keep it to your self," he said. Command Master Chief Charles Smith said comparing the gay-rights issue to integra tion of blocks into the service isn't fair Smith, who is bl