Lockheed recognizes gay employee group

After years of turning a decidedly chilly shoulder to its gay and lesbian 
workers, the Lockheed Missile and Space Corp. has finally extended formal 
recognition to Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals at Lockheed (GLOBAL) as one of its 
official--employee groups. The change, which followed Lockheed's move earlier 
this year to include sexual orientation in its antidiscrimination policies, is 
especially significant because Lockheed's primary customer is the U.S. 
military, which continues to battle against allowing gays and lesbians to seive 
in the armed forces. In fact Lockheed is believed to be the first defense 
contractor to bar employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and 
give official recognition to a gay workers' group.

Ironically, since GLOBAL was first formed more than three years ago, Lockheed 
fought the group tooth and nail. At one point Lockheed even sent GLOBAL a terse 
letter from its legal officer ordering them to stop using the . name of 
Lockheed in the group name or face a possible trademark infringement action.