
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 23, 1993                   TAG: 9306230151
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder Newspapers
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

NEW GAY-BAN PLAN TO REQUIRE SECRECY BOTH SIDES KNOCK DEFENSE POLICY DRAFT

President Clinton's pledge to allow openly gay people in the military appeared to erode further Tuesday with the emergence of a policy proposal that would force uniformed gays to remain in the closet.

The proposal - from Defense Secretary Les Aspin's office - says gays should be allowed to stay in the military unless they declare their sexual orientation "by homosexual acts, statements or marriages."

Pentagon officials quickly dismissed the proposal as one of several approaches under consideration by Aspin, who's been charged by the president with suggesting ways to ease the ban by July 15.

"The secretary has not yet decided what to recommend to the president, and he continues to consult on the matter," said spokesman Vernon Guidry.

However, the document, which Pentagon officials said was written by an unidentified member of Aspin's 2,123-person staff, has been circulated to military and congressional officials since it was drafted Thursday. The plan is printed on official "Office of the Secretary of Defense" letterhead and stamped "working draft."

"Whatever we recommend has got to be supported by the Congress," said one defense official involved in the matter. "It's not that we're backing away - it's just that we don't have the votes in Congress to do much more."

During last year's campaign, Clinton said he wanted an "immediate repeal" of the gay ban. But facing strong military and congressional opposition after his inauguration, the president agreed to an interim policy that bars gays from active duty but stops recruiters from asking recruits about their sexual orientation.

Last month, when a leading gay advocate on Capitol Hill offered a compromise that would allow homosexuals in the military to live a discreet gay lifestyle off-duty, Clinton said he was willing to embrace some kind of a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

While Clinton declined to comment on the memo, advocates on each side of the issue denounced the proposal.

Under the proposal, recruits will not be asked if they are gay but must understand that homosexual conduct is forbidden for members of the military. Investigations launched solely to determine someone's sexual orientation would stop.

by CNB