European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday november 13, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3ban on Gays labelled unfair americans think military must keep in step by Ron Mckinney and Luke Britt staff writers when president elect Clinton sounded the death Knell wednesday for the Pentagon a ban on homosexuals he joined a chorus of voices saying the military is out of step on the Issue. Quot i done to think status alone in the absence of some destructive behaviour should disqualify people a Clinton said clearly stating for the first time that he will lift the nearly 50-year-old ban. While Clinton a statement is sure to spark angry debate within the military it echoes what appears to be the opinion of a growing segment of mainstream America including members of Congress and professional health organizations. Thirteen of 16 . Into allies allow homosexuals to serve in the armed forces with Canada becoming the most recent to open its ranks last month. The Federal governments general accounting office added fuel to the debate earlier this year when it concluded there is no scientific evidence to support the military a written position that the a presence of persons who engage in homosexual conduct. Seriously impairs the accomplishment of the military  Gay men and lesbians Are already and have always been in the military no doubt in sizable numbers and they have done a Fine  a rep. Patricia Schroeder a Colo. As recently As last week however Pentagon officials reaffirmed statements that the policy stands for itself. A your policies Are not based on morality a it. Col. Doug Hart a Pentagon spokesman said in september. A they Are based on readiness and a military units ability to fight a As All of our policies  the general accounting office report released in june concluded that a the military s ban on Gays does not reflect the attitudes of most americans. Eight out of 10 americans believe homosexuals should be allowed to serve. A civilian agencies with traditionally strict recruiting criteria such As police and fire departments no longer discriminate against homosexuals and the two groups have few problems working together. A Only three nato countries a Portugal Britain and the United states a exclude homosexuals from the armed forces. New zealand also has a ban. A the Pentagon has spent at least $498 million since 1980 forcing homosexuals out of the military. That figure does not include the Cost of investigations or prosecutions that accompany Many homosexual discharge cases. A a total of 16,919 service members were discharged for homosexuality from 1980-90. That does not include other homosexuals discharged under other categories such As misconduct. A women Are discharged in numbers far greater than their proportion of the Force enlisted personnel at a far higher rate than officers. The 78-Paec Gao report was the culmination of a two year study conducted at the request of a group of congressmen. The researchers concluded that support for rescinding the ban is continuing to grow among mental health organizations human rights groups and the Public. A major psychiatric and psychological organizations in the United states disagree with Dod policy and believe it to be factually unsupported unfair and counterproductive a the report states. Beginning last year the american psychological association began taking a stronger role in the fight to rescind the ban. It adopted a Resolution stating it a opposes the Dod policy which finds homosexual orientation a incompatible with military services a and a will take a leadership role among National organizations in seeking to change this discriminatory  the Gao report was not the first government study to fuel the push to rescind the ban. The 1987 government study by the defense personnel Security research and education Center examined the relationship Between homosexuality and personnel Security. In conclusion it stated a sexual orientation is unrelated to moral character. Both patriots and traitors arc drawn from the class american citizen and not specifically from the class heterosexual or the class homosexual Quot the Pentagon policy still lists potential Security risks As a reason for the ban although top officials have conceded that the Issue is losing relevance. �?o1 think there have been times in the past when the ban has been generated on the notion that somehow there was a Security risk involved although i must say i think that is a bit of an old Chestnut a defense Secretary  Cheney said last year. In current practice the policy Banning homosexuals is essentially based on the Assumption that homosexuality is incompatible with the military primarily because of the effect on morale. Although Pentagon officials refused to elaborate the incompatibility controversy appears to Center around privacy in the Barracks. Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff reaffirmed the policy recently a it is difficult in a military setting where there is no privacy where you done to get a Choice of association where you done to get a Choice of where you live to introduce a group of individuals. Who favor a homosexual lifestyle and put them in with heterosexuals who would prefer not to have somebody of the same sex find them sexually  Many Gay rights advocates note that the military a arguments against homosexuals a that sharing of work living and Battle conditions would disrupt morale and discipline hamper readiness and weaken the services a were the same ones used to oppose racial integration of the services. Gays say that the argument that homosexuality is incompatible with service in the armed forces is fallacious. Quot the policy is not based on fact a said Tanya Domi a former army Captain and the legislative director of Gay lesbian and bisexual veterans of America. Domis organization and Many others like it maintain that homosexuals arc capable soldiers airmen and sailors. Robert Adams legislative assistant to rep. Gerry Studds a mass said homosexuals  have to prove themselves to be Superior workers to stay in the military. A the important Point is that there Isnit a difference in performance a Adams said. Although the 1992 Gao report stopped Short of supporting the assertion that Gays perform at a higher level than the Force As a whole it emphasizes that the Pentagon has failed to provide evidence to the contrary. That a because the Pentagon has never conducted a study of How Well Gays interact with heterosexual service members or whether Gays have problems adjusting to a military culture according to a Pentagon spokesman. A your policies arc based on the experiences of senior military leaders a said Hart the Pentagon spokesman. Those experiences appear at Odds with those of Many of americans nato allies. The Netherlands began allowing Gays to serve in 1970, a decision that has not hampered the military Mission said a dutch defense ministry spokesman. A sometimes there arc problems like there arc always problems when some people done to like homosexuals the spokesman said. A but its not permitted to show that you done to like homosexuals. You have to accept  the air Force times and army times affiliated weekly newspapers published outside Washington d.c., Nave called for the end of the ban. The tabloids published identical editorials this summer calling for an end to the military a ban on homosexuals. Tom Donnelly editor of the army times said the papers opinion was based on interviews with soldiers. The paper received about 40 letters in response to the editorial 90 percent of them critical he said. I have Given a great Deal of thought to my position and continue to hold the View that the presence of homosexuals in the military is prejudicial to Good order and  a Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff a a in a say it was a very Strong response to an editorial although it  Pale by comparison to the readers response when we threatened to eliminate Beetle Bailey a Donnelly said. A a lot of them have shown Strong feelings. Some of them have been unprintable. But obviously its an Issue that a kind of a gut Check t for a lot of  air Force times editor Lee Ewing said his paper initially received 44 letters critical of the j editorial and three letters in support. A handful of people also cancelled their subscriptions. Since then he has received two dozen postcards in favor of lifting the ban. One of the leaders on the military Gay rights Issue in Congress has been rep. Patricia Schroeder a Colo. A Gay men and lesbians arc already and have always been in the military no doubt in sizable numbers and they have done a Fine Job a Schroeder told the stars and stripes. Schroeder introduced a Bill in Congress this year that would prohibit the discrimination by the armed forces on the basis of sexual orientation. The Bill which has 32 co signers was denounced by president Bush and Powell. A i have Given a great Deal of thought to my position and continue to hold the View that the presence of homosexuals in the military is prejudicial to Good order and discipline a Powell stated in a letter to Schroeder last  Sailor Back on Job after winning suit san Jose Calif. A Keith Meinhold returned to his Navy Job thursday after winning a Victory Over the Pentagon and its ban on homosexuals in the military. The 30-year-old Petty officer discharged in August after disclosing on National television that he is Gay was reinstated under court order As a sonar Crew instructor at Nas Moffett Field in Mountain View. A i done to expect any negative response a Meinhold said As he walked through the bases main Gate. But he recommended that other Gays or lesbians in the military wait until the ban on homosexuals is lifted before coming Forward. Last week . District judge Terry j. Hatter or. Of los Angeles ordered the Navy to take Meinhold Back pending Resolution of his lawsuit challenging the ban. On tuesday the Pentagon rebuked by the judge for initially defying his order said it would comply. A to Keith and to a lot of Gay men and lesbians. This makes it probably the most meaningful veterans Day that a occurred a Meinholdt a lawyer John Mcguire said wednesday. Meinhold sued in october claiming his dismissal violated his right to equal Protection. A Petty officer and 12-year Navy Veteran he received an honorable discharge and has been working As a computer Salesman. The government will contest Meinholdt a reinstatement during a hearing monday