Clinton may have stumbled into his first postelection minefield. Though he managed to survive GOP charges Vietnam-era draft dodger, he still has to convince Pentagon skeptics that their new commander in chief will understand military culture and be sympathetic to its concerns. Officially opening the military to homosexuals is hardly the way to generate good will-there is powerful resistance within the ranks and among the brass. Pentagon insiders believe that the Joint Chiefs of Staff would actually consider resigning en masse if gays were allowed to serve openly. The navy is particularly resistant because of the privacy questions presented by cramped conditions and enforced intimacies aboard ships.
Pentagon officials say they have already detected a certain “fuzzing up” in Clinton’s campaign position, which called for “an immediate repeal” of the prohibition. Last week the back pedaling began in earnest. At the press conference after his speech Clinton said he would “put together a group and let them advise me”–invoking the venerable political practice of appointing a commission to buy time on a sticky issue. By stressing that gays in uniform should be judged according to their conduct, not their proclivities, Clinton revealed the influence of Adm. William Crowe, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who spent 15 minutes on the phone with the president-elect before the press conference. One source close to the discussions says Clinton especially wants an end to the “witch hunts” that naval investigators use to ferret out gays.
Coincidentally, the future was partway here for one seaman, dismissed by the navy after he announced his homosexuality six months ago. Petty Officer 1/c Keith Meinhold sued, charging the navy with infringing on his constitutional rights. Last week a U.S. district judge ordered Meinhold reinstated pending settlement of his case. Should the military appeal the ruling, the Supreme Court could declare the prohibition against homosexuals unconstitutional. But that outcome is at least several years away-and wouldn’t ease the pressure on Clinton now.
Clinton insisted last week that the question is not if, but when and how, he will reverse the ban. That surely came as a relief to homosexuals who helped him win the White House. Gay PACs were among Clinton’s top supporters, with about $3 million in contributions. For the first time in American history, gays and lesbians came out as a voting block. Exit polls suggest that 70 to 90 percent of homosexuals voted for Clinton over President George Bush. In other words, it’s time to deliver. Whether Clinton breaks or keeps his word, there will be a political cost.
