Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site bbncca.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!decvax!bbncca!wdoherty
From: wdoherty@bbncca.ARPA (Will Doherty)
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: SECURITY CLEARANCES
Message-ID: <651@bbncca.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 31-Mar-84 17:20:08 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncca.651
Posted: Sat Mar 31 17:20:08 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Apr-84 08:15:52 EST
Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 34

In answer to Robert DeBenedictus' inquiry about security
clearances for lesbians and gays--

Right now, no one who gives out security clearances has a clear
policy on whether or not lesbians and gays can receive clearances.
For a while, the NSA had an informal policy permitting any lesbian
or gay otherwise qualified to get a clearance if she or he
was or became "out" to her or his immediate family.  This has
changed recently and the chances of getting an NSA clearance
as an open lesbian or gay are slim.

No one else guarantees that they do not discriminate on the
basis of sexual orientation in granting security clearances.
In fact, many times they seem to deny them for that reason.
However, the more they need you, the more likely they are to
give you the clearance.  If you already have a clearance and
then they discover that you are lesbian or gay, they quite
often ignore the fact, although if they want to get rid of you
for other reasons, they may use your sexuality as a convenient
pretext for dismissal.  The higher the level of secrecy required
for the clearance, the less likely that a lesbian or gay will
receive that clearance.

I am writing an article on security clearances which will
include a section on security clearances for lesbians and
gays.  If you get information on this issue, please send
me whatever you can, so that I can incorporate it into the
article.  Also, I would like to recommend that you read
"The Puzzle Palace" by James Bamford, the best book currently
available on the workings of the NSA ("No Such Agency").

			Will Doherty
			USE: decvax!bbncca!wdoherty
			ARPA: wdoherty@bbng