Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
The White House quietly rewrites the rules on security clearances.
  • What the change means

    But if that's the case, why was the language changed?

    They're deliberately murky with the exact conditions for security clearances, but it's widely believed that while being gay isn't sufficient reason for being rejected, being closeted could be. They don't want you to be blackmailable, which is why they also reject gambling addicts, people having affairs, etc. So they may be changing the language to reflect that: you can't lose out solely for being gay, but gay+closeted is an acceptable reason. If so, they're changing the language to better reflect the practice.

    I'm not saying I agree with it; I find the existing system to be capricious, ponderously slow, and ineffective. Good people are rejected for security clearances for dumb reasons, and that probably costs more lives to Americans because the work isn't getting done than any damage that could be done by blackmailing closeted clearance-holders. I'm just trying to explain what they meant.