European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 31, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday August 31, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 7gay men s brains May be different area appears to be larger in heterosexuals 111# i o \ i researcher Simon Levay says he has discovered a particular Region of the brain is twice As Large in heterosexual men As in homosexual men. Washington up the brains of homosexual men appear to be structurally different from those of other men. A researcher said. Simon Levay of the Salk Institute for biological studies _ in san Diego said thursday he found a particular Region of the brain was twice As Large in Hetero sex. Ual men As in homosexual men. Furthermore Tulve Region a located in a portion of the brain called the hypothalamus that regulates sexual behaviour a was found to be about the same size in homosexual men and apparently heterosexual women. A the findings do not say whether you Are born Gay but it suggests that we can study this aspect of human nature with biological tools instead of just talking about it. It could give us new understanding about How sexual orientation develops a Levay said. In a study published in the journal science Levay Analysed 41 brains of homosexual and heterosexual subjects who died Between Ages 26 and 59 although most of the subjects had died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome no significant difference was found Between heterosexual men who died of aids and those who died of other causes. What the research did not show is whether the brain Region that differs Between the heterosexual and homosexual men is responsible for a persons sexual orientation. Quot we Don t know whether there is a casual relationship Between the size of this group of cells or whether the size results from sexual orientation a the neuroscientist said. Other brain experts said further studies Are needed to confirm Mcvay s findings but he noted a study published last year reported differences Between homosexuals and heterosexuals in another brain Region. A if it s True the implications Are amazing. It would begin to suggest Why male homosexuality is present in most human populations despite cultural restraints. It suggests it s a biological phenomenon a Dennis Landis a neurologist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland told science. However Landis said this study is not conclusive. A these Are observations by one investigator. Good observers can disagree on cell group Borders a he said. Homosexual rights activists thursday expressed concern about the research. A used in an ethical non prejudicial Way it could prove what we have known All along a that homosexuality is not a Choice Quot said Robert Bray of the National Gay and lesbian task Force in  director chosen temporary Cia head Washington apr Richard j. Kerr the Deputy director of the Cia will take Over next week As acting director to replace William Webster who is retiring from government service the Agency said thursday. The Cia Public affairs office said  become acting director tuesday and will serve until a new director is confirmed. Webster announced his retirement in May and said he would leave the Agency at the end of july to go into private Law practice. But he extended his service at the request of president Bush after the Senate held up confirmation of his designated successor Robert Gates. The Senate intelligence committee which was supposed to Start its Gates confirmation hearings july 15, postponed them until sept. 16 to pursue new information regarding Gates role in the Iran Contra affair. The information stems from testimony by former Cia officer Alan Fiers who pleaded guilty this month to two misdemeanours in connection with the diversion of Iran arms sales profits to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Fiers said he reported the diversion to three of his superiors one of whom told him to withhold the information from Congress. During some of that time Gates was Deputy director to William Casey. He became acting director of the Agency in december 1986 when the late Cia chief became too ill with a brain tumor to work. Gates served in that capacity until Webster became Agency director in the Spring of 1987. Kerr 55, became Deputy Cia director when Bush named Gates As his Deputy National Security adviser in january 1989. He was named As a Long shot among potential candidates for the top Agency Job when Webster announced his retirement in May. Kerr has t escaped mention in the annals of the Iran Contra scandal either. Records show that a former Cia analyst Charles Allen told Kerr in August 1986 that he suspected Iran was being overcharged for the weapons it was buying from the United states and the profits were being used to Arm . Kerr told congressional investigators in 1987 that he passed Allens concerns to Gates who asked to be kept informed. Gates according to the report of the congressional Iran Contra committees said he did no to remember the conversation with Kerr. Allen subsequently sought out Gates directly in october 1986 and passed on his suspicions both have  rights group votes to oppose Thomas Washington up a National hispanic civil rights organization said it opposes the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the supreme court because of his a callous disregard for the rights of hispanics while head of the equal employment Opportunity commission. The National Council of Lara a said 21 of the 26 members of its Board of directors voted to oppose Thomas while two voted to support him and three abstained. A it is highly unusual for the Clr to take a position on a judicial nomination a said Tony Salazar chairman of the Board of directors. A in this Case however the boards sentiment is Clear. We could not avoid taking a stand against this nominee who has demonstrated callous disregard for the civil rights of hispanics during his tenure As chairman of the equal employment Opportunity  Thomas 43, was head of the Leoc for eight years during the Reagan administration. He has been a Federal judge in Washington since March 1990. The groups president Raul Yzaguirre said a hispanics who suffered employment discrimination had trouble even getting into Clarence Thomas a Agency. Once inside their cases were Likely to be thrown out. Those Lucky few that remained were less Likely than others to be represented in court by the Leoc. A finally even those hispanics who prevailed in court were compensated at lower Levels than other groups a Yzaguirre said. A it is hard to avoid the conclusion that under Clarence Thomas the nations most important civil rights Agency was itself guilty of discriminating against the hispanic Community. No one with such an egregious record is qualified to serve on the nations highest  to pay record Fine for la. Oil ire Washington a Cit go Petroleum corp. Has agreed to pay a record $5,8 million to Settle alleged worker safety violations stemming from a Louisiana refinery fire that killed six people earlier this year. The occupational safety and health administration on thursday announced the record $5.8 million settlement at the same time it outlined the alleged violations which called for penalties of $8.2 million. Along with the record payment Cit go has agreed to implement corporate wide safety programs and help fund a new Petroleum Industry training program Osha said. At Issue were alleged safety violations uncovered in an investigation into a refinery blast March 3 at a Plant near Lake Charles in southwestern Louisiana. Six workers died from the blast and six others suffered Burn injuries Osha said. The blast occurred when one of the plants three catalytic cracking units. Which Are used in refining gasoline exploded and touched off a 2 / hour fire. The explosion rocked Homes up to a mile away. A Cit go in a statement issued from its Tulsa okla., Headquarters denied the alleged safety violations and noted that the settlement did not constitute a finding of fault or an admission of liability. A we at Cit go regret this tragic incident and we continue to work with the occupational safety and health administration to further enhance safety a said Ron Hall president and chief executive officer. Cit go agreed to Settle. Hall said so the company could a move Forward As quickly As possible in continuing to implement enhancement programs for the safety and health of All of its employees and  Osha alleged that Cit go had failed to provide employees with a work site Quot free from recognized hazards that Are causing or Likely to cause death or serious physical