DATE: Tuesday, June 17, 1997                TAG: 9706170328

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 

DATELINE: WASHINGTON                        LENGTH:   20 lines

BILL WOULD MAKE SEX IN THE MILITARY LEGAL IF IT IS CONSENSUAL

Rep. Barney Frank said Monday he intends to introduce a bill that would decriminalize sex among consenting members of the military.

``I do not think that adult members of the military ought to be criminally penalized for sexual activity of a private, consenting nature,'' said Frank, D-Mass.

``That doesn't mean all of it would be morally approvable,'' he said. ``It does mean that criminal prosecution is a wholly inappropriate way of dealing with these kind of consenting acts.''

Under Frank's bill, fraternization or sexual misconduct that undermined ``good order and discipline'' would still be subject to disciplinary action. KEYWORDS: MILITARY SEX FRATERNIZATION

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