Return-Path: @VM.ITS.RPI.EDU:ACTIV-L@UMCVMB.BITNET Return-Path: <@VM.ITS.RPI.EDU:ACTIV-L@UMCVMB.BITNET> Received: from VM.ITS.RPI.EDU by rpi.edu (4.1/SMHUB31); id AA21138; Sat, 23 May 92 16:24:04 EDT for buckmr Message-Id: <9205232024.AA21138@rpi.edu> Received: from VM.ITS.RPI.EDU by VM.ITS.RPI.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R1) with BSMTP id 6810; Sat, 23 May 92 16:22:45 EDT Received: from PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU by VM.ITS.RPI.EDU (Mailer R2.07) with BSMTP id 0200; Sat, 23 May 92 16:22:35 EDT Received: from PUCC.BITNET by PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU (Mailer R2.08 ptf024) with BSMTP id 5657; Sat, 23 May 92 16:21:47 EDT Date: Sat, 23 May 1992 15:20:24 CDT Reply-To: Activists Mailing List Sender: Activists Mailing List From: Rich Winkel Subject: The Khaki Closet To: Multiple recipients of list ACTIV-L >From NLNS Packet 2.9 - 11 May 1992 The Khaki Closet What you need to know about the US Military if you're gay, lesbian or bisexual or have tested "positive" on the HIV Test. Excerpted with permission from a Citizen Soldier Handbook II. Advice for Gay Men, Lesbians and Bisexuals Who are Currently on Active-duty Today, public opinion strongly supports the right of gay men and lesbians to serve in all branches of the military. In 1991, Penn and Schoen, a respected polling organization, conducted a study in which two-thirds of those surveyed endorsed military service for homosexuals and 81% agreed that they should not be discharged solely because of their homosexuality. Newspapers in major cities across the country have published recent editorials urging the Pentagon to eliminate Directive 1332.14- -which bans gay men and lesbians from serving in the military. Three candidates for the Democratic Presidential nomination, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, US Senator Tom Harkin and Paul Tsongas, a former US Senator, have all gone on record opposing the policy. A number of distinguished professional and religious associations, such as the American Psychological Association, American Nurses Association, the American Council on Education and the Unitarian Church, have taken public positions against the ban. Not only does this rigid policy cause great human suffering but it also represents a waste of millions of dollars in training costs when GIs who are performing skilled jobs are discharged simply because of their sexual orientation. Despite strong and growing opposition to its homophobic policies, the Pentagon continues to cling to its no-gays rule. Assistant Defense Secretary for Personnel, Chris Jehn, recently offered the following defense to the Washington Post: "Homosexuality is viewed by a large segment of the population as not just distasteful, but also immoral and sinful." The Military can punish GIs for what they do off-base and off- duty. A few years ago, the Supreme Court changed the law so that military commanders can now prosecute members for virtually anything they do--off base as well as on. Civilian prosecutors are often happy to step aside and let military courts handle off-base "crimes" which occur in their jurisdictions. The prosecutor for Bell County, Texas, which surrounds Fort Hood, explained to the Dallas Morning News why he follows this policy: "Their justice is swift, they get them to trial quicker and incarcerate them longer." As part of its continuing campaign to root out homosexuals in uniform, the military often sends undercover agents into towns and cities, which are adjacent to its bases, in search of "wrongdoing" among GIs. They also make use of reports by civilian police agencies about servicemembers who are suspected of homosexual activity or interest. Beware of Undercover Police Agents and Informers In cities such as Norfolk, VA, San Diego, CA, and San Antonio, TX, which have large military installations, the military and civilian police have a long history of cooperation. They send agents into clubs and discos that cater to gay men and/or lesbians. If you're from a large city like New York or Los Angeles, it probably wouldn't occur to you that just visiting a base-town "gay" bar could be risky to you as a soldier--but it is! Undercover police and informers are usually quite skillful at blending in with the regular customers. Any conversation or even a turn on the dance floor can lead to an agent learning your identity and reporting you to your military unit. Bars and discos aren't the only place they check, either. Undercover police and informers also visit house parties and other social functions where gay men or lesbians gather. One group of airmen who partied off-base in a private home near Wiesbaden, Germany, learned this the hard way. Unknown to the guests, one airman who was facing trial for sodomy attended and them provided a full report to the prosecutor. As a result, two party-goers were arrested. One of them, a highly decorated Squadron Commander, was convicted of sodomy and sentenced to a year in prison. Captain Paul Starr told the press after his court-martial: "I thought the worst they'd do is kick me out. Never in my wildest dreams did I think they'd send me to prison." The other party-goear, Sergeant Ron Miller, was accused of indecency for touching a candy cane that another party celebrant was wearing on his belt. Miller was eventually drummed out of the Air Force with a "bad" discharge in liew of a court-martial, which cost him a life-time pension that could have eventually netted him $500,000. Gay rights organizations claim that when even a single GI comes under suspicion of homosexuality, the military police often will organize a "witchhunt," which sweeps up many people. One recent "witchhunt" that occured in the Ft. Carson/Colorado Spring, CO area, illustrates this practice. Military police had persuaded an Army captain that he should help them catch other gay servicemen in exchange for leniency in his case. Before he was done informing, at least six other soldiers had been court-martialed and an Air Force major had committed suicide. The highest ranking soldier caught up in this dragnet was Colonel Edward Modesto, a 17-year Army veteran. He received nine months in prison, $27,000 fine and dishonorable dismissal for having sex with his male lover, touching his lover in a gay bar, appearing in "sexually provocative" snapshots that were seized in a raid on his home, and dressing in drag for an AIDS fundraising party. For some reason, female GIs are three times more likely than males to be discharged for homosexuality. In the Marines, the rate climbs to eight times as high. Some observers argue that this disparity exists because the military treats suspected lesbian more harshly than it does gay men. What to Do if You're Called for Interrogation Those who are suspected of homosexuality will be approached in different ways, depending on custom and local practice. Sometimes, suspects will be ordered to report to the military police unit for formal questioning. Other times, suspects are invited to have an informal "chat" with their commanding officer. In other cases, a police investigator will drop by unannounced, ostensibly to "clear up a few facts." Whatever the means of approach, you should always follow the same course--tell them nothing. Your commander may become angry when you refuse to discuss any allegations, but you should insist on your legal right to remain silent. Police investigators are usually skillful at concealing from suspects how much they actually know about a particular offense. They develop this technique because many times they can use a suspect to help build a strong case against him or herself. To repeat the guiding principle--tell them nothing (except your name, rank and unit). Under law, once someone has begun to talk, investigators are allowed to use virtually any trick to get him or her to continue. One trick used by some military investigators is to show a suspect a "press release", announcing his or her arrest and threaten to send it to hometown newspapers unless he or she "cooperates." The military's highest court recently ruled that once a suspect asks to have defense counsel present during questioning, police must terminate ALL questioning (U.S. vs. Fassler). Again it's up to you to assert your rights! It's funny; everyone has seen TV shows and movies in which suspects take "the Fifth Amendment" to protect themselves against self-incrimination during questioning. Yet all too often, intelligent people give investigators valuble information because they think they can talk their way out of trouble. Investigators are skilled at their job--you won't outsmart them by talking. Any prosecutor knows of convictions that were won only because the defendent volunteered information. Efforts to help yourself by cooperating and "naming names" will only dig you in deeper and create misery for others. Please don't think that there's anything unpatriotic or cowardly about choosing to remain silent. Our Constitution guarantees that no citizen can be forced to give testimony against him or herself. This is an important hallmark of a free society and helps prevent the use of torture to extort confessions. Citizen Soldier is a GI rights organization. They can be reached at: Citizen Soldier, 175 Fifth Ave., Suite 108, NY, NY 10010; (212) 777- 3470.