[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 6 (Tuesday, February 1, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                STRONG STATEMENT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

                                 ______


                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 1, 1994

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, one of the organizations 
with which I am in regular contact, and whose thoughtful counsel I 
value is the National Conference of Viet Nam Veteran Ministers, headed 
by the Reverend Philip G. Salois of Attleboro. During the recess, 
Father Salois sent me a copy of the resolutions adopted by that group 
in their meeting in Washington in November. One of those resolutions is 
an eloquent statement opposing the discrimination against gay men and 
lesbians in the military which has unfortunately been adopted as 
official government policy. I believe that the Conference of Viet Nam 
Veteran Ministers has excellent standing to rebut the arguments in 
favor of discrimination that we have heard from many people. These are 
individuals who served as chaplains and who understand as well as 
anyone the stresses and strains of military service in war time. Their 
strong statement against discrimination based on sexual orientation is 
an important contribution to this debate. I salute them for their 
normal courage, and insert their statement here:

                                            National Conference of


                                   Viet Nam Veteran Ministers,

                                                    Attleboro, MA.

                 (Press release--for immediate release)

       The National Conference of Viet Nam Veteran Ministers, an 
     organization composed of clergy who served in Viet Nam, 
     meeting in Washington, DC on November 8 through 12, 1993, 
     issued the following statement concerning the issue of human 
     sexuality and the military.
       Our various religious traditions continue to struggle with 
     issues of human sexuality, most recently with the question of 
     how members of the gay and lesbian community are to 
     participate within the traditions. A great variety of views 
     exist and our witness remains confused and nuclear. However, 
     the dialogue continues, as it rightly should.
       We are concerned and disturbed that the United States 
     government would consider adopting the official position 
     which is based upon the premise of silence. The ``don't ask; 
     don't tell'' proposal is an affront to both the Constitution 
     of the United States and to human dignity.
       To impose on any segment of society a mandatory silence is 
     an unconscionable act. From our experience of the silence 
     imposed upon us as Viet Nam veterans by society and as Viet 
     Nam veteran clergy by our religious traditions, we have 
     learned the pain and cost of rejection.
       We urge the leaders of the United States government in both 
     the executive and legislative branches not to further retreat 
     from dialogue but to, at the very least, encourage and allow 
     an open exchange of views with the many patriotic members of 
     the gay and lesbian community who have served and are 
     currently serving in the armed forces.

                          ____________________