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• Thursday, March 16, 2006 10:36 AM

  Discrete?

  First, let me say I have some experience in this matter. Many years ago I applied for a job with a government contractor that required a security clearance and was administered a polygraph test where the "homosexual experiences" question came up. And indeed I hadn't had any homosexual contact at that time, but of course the needle practically flew off the machine. The next week I got a letter stating that they the job was no longer available. I just wanted to share that.

  Now, as many have pointed out, being a closeted gay, especially a married man makes you vulnerable to blackmail, however there was the case many years ago of Frank Kameny, a man was totally out of the closet and hiding it from no one, yet was denied the clearance. And what further makes me wonder if this blackmail issue is the real issue was the words stated in the new policy saying what would help someone get the clearance is if they are "strictly private, consensual and discreet". Now in the gay world, and I thought to everyone else, discreet is a code word for "in the closet", used frequently by married men. Add to this the military's don't-ask-don't-tell policy and it calls into question this issue of being vulnerable to blackmail. What the goverment fears is not people who are vulnerable to blackmail, but people, who by their very nature are subversive to the world view of the people in power.

  —larrfirr Read larrfirr's other letters
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