European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 22, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Gays in the military underneath uniform Gays Wear shroud of subterfuge Apffel Petty officer let Cleee Keith Meinhoff extend Hie Hend to e met fiery guard Etnas Moffett Field in California after naval official initially refuted to Honor Hie court ordered Telnet stament continued from Page 1 an army Reserve Captain who commanded an army company in Germany while on Active duty four years ago. For the two soldiers who exchanged vows along the main River caution is a Way of life. They were in the same battalion at the time and word of their relationship could not be allowed to spread. Quot with the military world you have your careers on the line Quot said one of the two David 26, who supervised a personnel service Center before leaving the army last Spring. He now works in the military club system in Europe. The couple live together Only on weekends because Kyle who has remained in the military was transferred to another unit. Quot i can to hold Kyle s hand or give him a Peck on the Cheek if i want to Quot David said. Quot its something we always have to Reserve or wait until we re in our Home or in our kind of bar. Quot it s disturbing. In a not hurting anyone by Loving him. We re both consenting adults who chose to be  if Clinton fulfils his Promise then people like David and Kyle soon might not be forced to live secret lives. The resistance against Clinton s stance has been Strong however. Leading military and congressional officials have stated they oppose Clinton a plan. And that opposition has diminished Gay service members Hopes that the ban will be lifted. If nothing else they said the swirling controversy sends a Strong message to stay in the closet. Quot the ban s not lifted and the generals Are against it Quot Tony said. Quot the Day it s lifted is the Day i m fully  but even if Clinton ends the policy Tony Isnit sure whether he would Quot come out Quot in his unit. His expectation of Subtle reprisals and harassment conflicts with his desire to live a life free of subterfuge he said. A i feel obligated As a Gay Man to come out because in a respected at work Quot Tony said. Quot its important for us to come out., if they re More aware of Gays then maybe military hard liners attitudes will  Craig an air Force Security policeman in Central Europe said he decided two months ago that he could not continue living a double life so he told his unit commander that he was Gay. The 29-year-old non commissioned officer is waiting to be processed out of the military. Quot when you have to lie All the time about what you do and who you see it gets to be quite a Burden Quot Craig said. A i just did t feel i could stay in the military and pretend Day to Day. I was getting to where i was coming to work and hating it every  Clinton s recent announcement has left Craig with mixed feelings. The Security policeman said that had he known the ban was going to be lifted he would have preferred staying in the air Force. I Don t think it s going to be nearly As easy As people think of Clinton comes in and makes a executive order hell make a lot of people very angry Quot Craig said. Quot homosexuality is incompatible with military service. The presence in the military environment of persons who engage in homosexual conduct or who by their statements demonstrate a propensity to engage in homosexual conduct seriously impairs the accomplishment of the military Mission. The presence of such members adversely affects the ability of the military services to maintain discipline Good order and morale to Foster Mutual Trust and Confidence among service members to ensure the integrity of the system of rank and command to facilitate assignment and worldwide deployment of service members who frequently must live and work under dose conditions affording minimal privacy to recruit and retain members of the military services to maintain Public acceptability of military service and to prevent breaches of Security Quot Pentagon definitions. Homosexual a person regardless of sex who engages in desires to engage in or intends to engage in homosexual acts. Homosexual act bodily Contact actively undertaken or passively permitted Between members of the same sex for the purpose of satisfying sexual desires. For the time being military regulations state that being Gay and being in uniform Are not compatible. Nearly 1,500 service members a and perhaps Many More a Are being forced out of the services each year. A 1992 government accounting office report relying on National studies that estimate that 5 percent to 10 percent of the . Population is homosexual estimated that perhaps 100,000 to 200,000 of the military Force is Gay. By that Standard at most Only 11k percent of the t he military is a Macho society and a lesbian goes along with that society on the other hand homosexual men Are thought of As Limp waisted and Prissy. Which they Aren t.1 Meg former army company commander homosexuals in the military Are being forcibly discharged each year one reason might be that Gays have Learned Long before they joined the military How to keep their homosexuality a secret. One of the keys to staying in the military said Chuck 26, a former air Force clerk in Turkey is not getting too close to . I did t mix the two Quot Chuck said of co workers and his Gay lifestyle. Quot i was chummy with coworkers maybe go have a Beer at the club but did t hang out with them. I did not let them get p involved in my personal  i knew it was wrong Quot David said of being Gay and coming the army four years ago. Quot but we grow up knowing that we Are not accepted. So it s not that big a Deal to keep in the closet. Its not like i walk around the Cavern hand in hand with my  Marty a service member who served in the persian Gulf War said straight co workers Are off limits. Quot i would t get involved in that Quot he said. Quot if i have feelings for that person its going to show. That a be a no no for me from the  having women friends is another inherent Protection said Kyle who devotes some of his time to flirting with the opposite sex. That does no to bother his partner David because it s All Pari of the survival game. I do it at my unit because i have to Quot Kyle said it s a lot easier to surround myself with women to make people think maybe he is and maybe he in to Quot others go a step further. They marry. Gregory is a full time air Force clerk and top notch athlete. He has a wide Circle of friends a Gay and straight a and is admired for his personality continued on Page 9 Page 8 the stars and stripes sunday november 22, 1992