DECEMBER 1980 HIGH GEAR Page

Weakened anti-gay amendment passes

Faced with this reality, Senator from the amendment. The initial Weicker suggested compromise McDonald language prohibited language designed to narrow the legal services from litigation for scope and minimize the damage "promoting. protecting and

Army admits mistake

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA. (IGNA) In a continuation of the upand-down battle between gay rights activist and military authorities, the U.S. Army has admitted it acted incorrectly in depriving a California graphics designer of his government security clearance because he acknowledged that he was homosexual.

The American Civil Liberties Union announced that 41-yearold Warren G. Preston will receive an out-of-court settlement from the Army. The Army will pay Preston and the ACLU $10,000 each and will also notify Preston's employer that it made a mistake when it took away his clearance in March, 1979.

Preston, a civilian working on government contracts at GTE Sylvania in Mountain View, California, filed suit in U.S. District Court, charging that the Army lifted his security clearance without due process and on insufficient grounds.

The settlement further requires that the Army not discriminate against Preston if he reapplies for a clearance, and stipulates that the Army must withdraw its regulations to specifically state that homosexuality alone is not sufficient reason for denying clearances to civilians working on government contracts.

The settlement does not affect all branches of the military and

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does not affect gay personnel In the military.

Documents presented by the ACLU show that the Army is paying Preston the money "for the economic loss and psychological humiliation" of losing the security clearance he had for 12 years.

The documents also tell GTE Sylvania that "the Army's determination ... that plaintiff did not meet the criteria...for access to sensitive compartmented information was in error and has been expunged."

defending homosexuality." The Justice Department indicated that the impact was unclear and that it could be interpreted to deny gay citizens access to the Legal Services program. The Weicker compromise would tion to only those cases which substantially narrow the prohibiseek the legalization of homosexuality."

diately responded favorably. The House conferees imme-. Rep. Jack Hightower (D-TX) and Rep. Bill Alexander (D-AK), who had pushed the McDonald Amendment, agreed to the compromise. Rep. Bill Hefner (DNC), said that maybe even Moral Majority would agree to the Weicker proposal. Senator Weicker smiled and said he doubted it.

Executive Director Steve Endean said, "Let no one make any mistake about it. Senator Welker is deeply committed to justice for lesbians and gay men: While we are, of course, unhappy that any anti-gay measure passed, Senaour interests, to minimize the tor Weicker effectively moved, in damage.

But Endean went on to say, in the fact that it isn't as bad as it "While we can take some solace... could have been, we must not lose sight of the fact that this is the first time in many years that antigay legislation will pass Congress. Unfortunately, we will. face similar fights in the near must organize as we never have future. To avert these defeats we before. We at Gay Rights National Lobby do not want to act just Gay Rights National Lobby as a "damage control" operation.

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