Subject: HRC Says Gingrich Shows Shocking Ignorance on HIV Military Policy
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 11:03:53 -0500

_______________________________________________________

NEWS from the
Human Rights Campaign

1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  [email-masked]
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
_______________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 14, 1996

      HRC SAYS GINGRICH SHOWS SHOCKING IGNORANCE
                           ON HIV MILITARY POLICY
              Speaker Should Reply to Magic Johnson's Letter,
                                  HRC's Zingale Says

     GO TO HRC'S WEBSITE TO SEND MESSAGES TO NEWT!
                                http://www.hrcusa.org

Washington -- House Speaker Newt Gingrich's remarks Wednesday
regarding Earvin "Magic" Johnson, HIV and the military showed a
startling ignorance of Defense Department policies, according to
the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian and gay
political group.

     "The speaker is making a big mistake if he thinks he can go
one on one with Magic Johnson on this issue," said Daniel
Zingale, HRC's political director. "Clearly, it is Speaker
Gingrich who does not understand the realities of the U.S.
military. Service members who test positive for the AIDS virus
are not engaging in warfare or spending time in military field
hospitals -- contrary to Gingrich's statements."

     Gingrich, at an appearance in Georgia on Wednesday, was
asked what he thought about a letter he received last week from
Johnson. Johnson, who is HIV-positive, asked Gingrich and Senate
Majority Leader Bob Dole to help pass legislation that would
repeal a measure to discharge all service members with the virus
that causes AIDS. That measure was part of the defense
authorization bill that President Clinton signed Saturday.
However, Clinton has said he believes the measure to be
unconstitutional and he has directed the Justice Department not
to defend it in court.

     Gingrich said Wednesday that Johnson doesn't understand "the
nature of being in the military and the danger of being in combat
and what happens in a field hospital if you have people bleeding,
people wounded, and you don't have a clue who has HIV." Gingrich
then went on to accuse Clinton of being "totally irresponsible"
for his stance on the measure in the defense bill.

     "Rather than attack President Clinton's position on this
issue, we wish the speaker would answer Magic Johnson's request
to allow Congress to vote on the bill to repeal this
discriminatory measure," Zingale said.

     The 1996 Defense Authorization Act contains a provision,
introduced by Rep. Bob Dornan, R-Calif., ordering the discharge
within six months of the 1,049 HIV-positive service members
currently in the armed forces.

     A repeal bill was introduced in the House on Feb. 1 by Reps.
Peter Torkildsen, R-Mass., Jane Harman, D-Calif., Connie Morella,
R-Md., and Ron Dellums, D-Calif. It is expected to be introduced
in the Senate by Sens. William Cohen, R-Maine and Edward Kennedy,
D-Mass. Currently, the bill has 90 co-sponsors in the House and
36 in the Senate.

     Service members with the virus that causes AIDS currently
are allowed to serve their country as long as they can perform
their duties, but they are not deployed overseas. The same policy
is applied to service members who have other chronic medical
conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease or cancer.
     The Pentagon has said that about half the HIV-positive
service members are married, and on average, have served for a
decade. Nearly 20 percent of them are officers.

     The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian
and gay political organization, with members throughout the
country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign
support and educates the public to ensure that lesbian and gay
Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in
the community.

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