European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday april 19, 1991 the stars and stripes Pago 5poll says 80 percent of americans accept homosexuals in the military Washington apr eight in 10 americans believe homosexuals should not be discharged from military service solely because of their sexual orientation according to a poll released thursday by a homosexual rights group. And 80 percent of those surveyed said homosexuals should not be discriminated against in the workplace according to the poll conducted for the human rights Campaign fund a National Gay lobbying group. A the significance of the poll is that the american Public is accepting the fact that Gays and lesbians Are in the military and that they done to find anything wrong with it a said Timothy Mcfeeley executive director of the Campaign fund. A i think this is a general sign that prejudices Are breaking  Mcfeeley said lie would be sending copies of the poll to defense Secretary Dick Cheney president Bush and key members of Congress. A we want to try to do something this year to try to change the Pentagon s policy a he said. Quot. Defense department policy states a homosexuality is incompatible with military  the official reasoning is that the presence of homosexuals a so i think this is a general sign that prejudices Are breaking Down a Tim Mcfeeley a executive director of the Campaign fund piously impairs the accomplishment of the military  however Gay and civil rights leaders have been agitating to overturn the policy arguing it is discriminatory and that the defense department s own research refutes it. A Udod has no plans to change that policy a maj. Doug Hart a Pentagon spokesman said wednesday. Quot during the persian Gulf conflict the military discharged a number of Active duty troops and reservists for admitting they were homosexual. While several of these discharges were covered by the Media the Pentagon has no official data yet Hart said the latest figures available cover the period from oct. 1 to dec. 31. 1990, Hart said. During that time the army dismissed 52 soldiers and the Navy discharged 181 sailors for homosexuality Hart said. He had no comparable numbers for the air Force or marines. The Telephone poll which was conducted by Penn amp Schown associates inc. On april 6 and 7, found that 81 percent of those asked believe the government should not discharge someone from the military solely because of homosexuality. Fourteen percent said the government should and the remainder had no opinion.  a. V a a a. Of the 14 percent 72 percent said they would favor discharging persian Gulf veterans solely because of their sexual orientation while 20 percent disagreed. Generally the poll found support for equal rights for homosexuals increased As the level of education increased a perhaps because of concerns of Competition in the workplace among poorer . A a a. A a a a a a a a a a a a. A v for example 80 percent of College graduates polled supported equal rights As compared with 00 percent of those with less than a High school education. Ninety one percent of those identifying themselves As liberals supported equal Job rights for Gay people compared with 09 percent of the respondents who called themselves conservative a the poll was based on a random Sample of 800 . Residents. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.40 percentage Points. Military cuts As Tough As War Cheney says Washington apr carrying out planned reductions in military strength May be More difficult than winning the persian Gulf War defense Secretary Dick Cheney said wednesday. Cheney said in a speech to former members of Congress that the government had a screwed up every previous time it tried to demobilize forces. He said there is a danger of returning to the a hollow army of the Post Vietnam Era. The Pentagon he said is committed to reducing Active troop strength from 2.1 million to 1.6 million in 1995, As it shrinks the army from 18 to 12 Active divisions the air Force from 36 to 26 air wings and the Navy from 560 to 450 ships. The cutbacks Are in response both to severe budgetary restraints and the removal of a serious soviet military threat in Europe. A that Challenge Over the years ahead May Well turn out to be tougher than winning the War in the Gulf a he said. Cheney said the cutbacks would result in the government spending less on de fens As a percentage of the Overall Federal budget or the Gross National product than at any time since before world War 11. He was asked whether the . Military had Ever carried out such a Raduc Tion while maintaining a Strong capable Force. A the answer is no a he  not in this  lie cited the demobilization after world War ii which left the military dangerously vulnerable when it was called on to beat Back North koreans invasion of South Korea in 1950. After Vietnam he said came the a Liol Low army of the 1970s, when units were Short of personnel  deploy and were Rife with drug and racial problems. Cheney said the government must have the a courage to make the politically difficult decisions on closing bases and production lines and funnelling funding into technology maintenance research and other areas that can help keep a smaller Force Strong. A week ago Cheney announced recommendations to close 31 major and 12 smaller bases in the United states while reducing or transferring personnel at 28 others. The Pentagon also plans to Stop buying such mainstays As the f-15 lighter and the mla1 Abrams tank. A if we blow it if we done to have the gumption to make Tough decisions a he warned the United states could end up with the same kind of debilitated Force it had 10 or 12 years ago. In the stars and stripes the italian Tanker centaurus mar is stuck on soft Sand in Shal ship carry ing 14 million Gallons of fuel Oil was taken out to Low water about two Miles off Miami Beach before High tide late deeper water so divers could inspect the Hull for damage. The wednesday and a nudge from a tug helped free it. The 718-foot coast guard said the Tanker was not leaking Oil. 10 years ago april 19,1981 a fifteen people were killed when a twin engine commuter air plane collided at 8,000 feet with a plane carrying five sky divers. Four sky divers were Able to struggle out of their plane and Parachute to safety. 20 years ago april 19, 1971 a a group of disabled Vietnam veterans told a special presidential committee that finding employment has become increasingly difficult. The jobless rate for veterans in their 20s is 10.2 percent compared with 6.8 percent for non veterans of the same age group according to the Pentagon. 30 years ago april 19, 1961 a Burt Lancaster won Best actor for his performance in a Elmer Gantry Quot and Elizabeth Taylor won Best actress for a Butterfield 8&Quot at the Academy awards show Quot the apartment Quot a Black and White film won Best picture. 40 years ago l april 19,1951 a six West european nations signed the Schuman plan a treaty that consolidated their Coal and steel industries