Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 09:06:00 EDT From: Song Weaver UK to decriminalize gays in forces By PAUL GOULD LONDON, April 13 (April 13) UPI - Britain has moved to decriminalize homosexual activity in its armed forces, but an amendment being considered by Parliament would still allow the military to expel or bar homosexuals from service, the Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. Under the change to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill, active gay men or lesbians in the military would no longer face criminal charges, but could still be excluded or dismissed from the forces. The new clause, introduced by Armed Forces Minister Jeremy Hanley, stipulates that "homosexual acts of a kind legal in civilian law would no longer be an offense under service law." The amendment followed the recommendations of a House of Commons Select Committee in June 1992. It was officially included in the bill late Tuesday night. It would repeal the special provisions of Britain's Sexual Offenses Act that make sex between men in the armed forces a crime, although the same law decriminalized gay sexual acts between consenting males over 21. A Ministry of Defense spokeswoman said recent legislation lowering the legal age of consent to 18 would be unaffected, because consensual sex between men over any legal age would no longer be a crime. "But it is still armed forces policy to exclude homosexuals because of the special conditions of service," she added. "They may be fired, but not prosecuted." The gay and lesbian lobby group Stonewall gave a cautious welcome to the amendment. "It does not change anything for most gays and lesbians in the armed forces because they still face automatic dismissal just for being gay, even if there has been no sexual activity," said Roger Goode, a Stonewall spokesman. "However, it is progress," he added, "because it should now mean an end to the cruel and humiliating investigation procedures of gathering bodily evidence to prosecute men on charges of being gay in the forces."