Commission rules.

U.S. jobs open to homosexuals

WASHINGTON (AP) The Civil Service Commission said yesterday known homosexuals may not be arbitrarily denied federal jobs.

Only if a person's homosexuality interferes with his or her work may the employe be fired, the commission said.

In compliance with a series of recent federal court decisions, the commission said the fact that a worker is known to have engaged in homosexual acts is insufficient reason to deny federal employment.

Disciplinary action may be taken for "notoriously disgraceful conduct" under the guidelines which also cover such issues as drug abuse, alcoholism, misconduct in previous jobs, loyalty and previous criminal records.

The commission controls employment conditions for millions of federal workers, excluding special categories like the FBI, the Central Intelligence Agency, foreign service specialists at the State Department and the military services.

Guidelines on loyalty say traitorous or disloyal actions would disqualify a person from federal employment. But participation in protest demonstrations of issues like the Vietnam war or school busing for racial reasons would not be considered disloyal behavior, the commission said.

In considering drug abuse, alcoholism or previous criminal records, the commission said federal employers should consider those problems case by case, including a look at chances for each individual's personal rehabilitation.