GLAAD/SFBA (THE GAY AND LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION
             SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 3, 1993
Contact: Ted Comerford, 408-971-7283

GENERAL COLIN POWELL KNEW HIS BODYGUARD WAS GAY
        U.S. Army Captain Michael McManus Comes Out in San Francisco

San Francisco--U.S. Army Captain Michael McManus revealed today
that General Colin Powell knew he was gay while McManus was
serving as his personal bodyguard, and that it made no
difference to the general.  While stationed in Frankfurt,
Germany, in 1986, then Sergeant McManus served as General
Powell's bodyguard and interpreter, and it was at that
time that Sgt. McManus "came out" to him, confiding
to him that he was gay.  According to McManus,
Gen. Powell, who at that time was commander of
the U.S. Army Fifth Corps, replied, "What do
you want me to do about it? As long as you are
doing your job well, that does not matter to me.
And you are doing an excellent job."

Capt. McManus came out of the closet as a
gay man publicly on Saturday, May 29, at
a Memorial Weekend Requiem in San Francisco
honoring the Unknown Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual
Soldiers.  The event was sponsored by the
San Francisco Bay Area Chaper of the
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
and endorsed by many community organizations,
including the Alexander Hamilton Post--
the only American Legion post in the nation
founded by gay and lesbian veterans.

McManus chose the SF Requiem as the time
to come out publicly because he "can no
longer be a part of an organization that
promotes and supports such blatant discrimination.
It is time for people to realize that sexual
orientation is a fundamental part of a person's
identity, just as much as being Asian- or African-
American."  McManus plans on being very vocal on
the issue of the military's gay and lesbian ban.

Currently serving in the U.S. Army Reserves as
part of the Special Operations Forces Command,
Capt. McManus reports directly to the Pentagon,
and holds a top secret security clearance.

Capt. McManus is available for personal and
telephone interviews.  Further background
information on Capt. McManus will be 
provided upon request.

Additional contacts: Bud Robbins, Alexander Hamilton Legion Post,
                          415-648-8488
                     Jessea Greenman, 415-861-4588, GLAAD/SFBA Co-Chair 

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
     Eleanor Roosevelt- activist, humanitarian, bisexual.


 Jessea NR Greenman        
                  crsdept@nature.berkeley.edu