1993 HOMOPHOBIC SENATE REMARKS BITES

DAD-5042 01:58:47

SENATOR WARNER: And in this instance we may have to early out

some people because of their firm moral and religious, and indeed
personal safety beliefs, and it applies to all, not just one class.

DAD-5043 00:28:38

ROBERT SMITH: Um. Senator Kennedy in his, uh, opening remarks, uh,
referenced the, the discrimination, uh, to, uh, black soldiers, uh, in the
1940s, and discussed the mis-, uh, perception by the way that, uh,
blacks were somehow a health threat. Uh, I, I think that’s obviously,
uh, false. That they were not and, and has been proven so. However, in
the case of, uh, homosexual communities, there are studies, uh, are
there not that, uh, sexually transmitted diseases are higher among the
homosexual p-, population than they are of the heterosexual
population?

DAD-5043 00:32:57

LAUCH FAIRCLOTH: Well, what, if I understand what you’re saying, if

there’s anything I don’t know much about it’s homosexuality. But, if I
understand it, it’s men attracted to men and you say because you
couldn’t put men and women together, in this bunk because of a
natural attraction, why do you, are you saying that these homosexuals
are going to control themselves with each other better than men and
women would control themselves with each other? That the
homosexuals have more ability or self control, is that what you’re
saying?

DANIEL COATS [OVERLAPS] But my, but my question goes to

behavior. Uh, it, I guess you just disagree.

LAWRENCE KORB: Well I mean, again if you, if you phrase it correctly,

I mean if we, if we I think we all I’m saying is I think we have to define
our terms because I think that s-, what, what it is, it becomes a loaded
question because if you say well, then you know, this is a behavioral
thing, then we’re into regulating behavior. And that’s what we’re
talking about. See the, the p—

TAPE 5047:

5047

[00:12:04:00] SCHWARZKOPF But I’ve also been approached by

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many thousands of Americans. Both in and out of uniform. In the
streets, in airports, in restaurants, and I’ve received countless letters
expressing grave concern about this issue. I know of no other issue
that elicits such strong emotion from the average American and
certainly no other that has caused such divisiveness.

[00:37:52:00] BERGERON: There is no distance between what we do,

and who we are. So you must understand that any attempt to
assimilate homosexuals into the workplace will automatically attempt
to assimilate homosexuals into our military communities at our very
heart. At our families. At my family. My children. I do not believe that
any amount of sensitivity training or reeducating will change the way
marines think or feel about homosexual behavior. Because there is
nothing more basic to an individual than his or her own sexuality.
Homosexuals are tolerated in the civilian community because
individuals can separate their jobs from the other aspects of their lives.

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