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REF· ID:A66999 

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, Basis of Ineligibility of Homoser11als for 

Govern.'T.3nt EmPloymen t 

2 April 19S3 

l. The legal bnsi.s for B'.lch policy: will take considerable time to tr~ce 

since it goes be! ck to the basic Civil Serv.tce A.ct of 16 January 1893 and is cov3red 

by inrm.m'lrable i!ltar,r3t::tio.."ls and· s'.;ato."nents of policy throughout the subsequent · 

years to tte prasent. It Wo'.lld appear that the 11 lawsn involved are not Federal 

laws but are Ste.ts and District laws uhich declare so:-1.0T.Jlr a."ld oth3r "abamnable 

and detestabls acts against ru:.ture" as £3li:>nias. Tm peruiltfas anC. ·the application 

of· tbase laws a.ore different ~·the various etates. 

. . 2. In th~ basic Civil Serv:t.ce Act 01' 16 January 1893,, ·stat~\ta 22403, 5 U .s.c. 

632, !=!action II, Part 'Second, under the g.:meral discuosion of quali:fic:itions for 

Federal employmsnt,. om rule st.ates .:_n subs·l;a.."lce that each applicant £or Federal 

emploY'Jll3nt shall be tested by competitive ~xami..~tion as to his qualific.:::tio:..-:::; for 

Stlch em:!)loyn:>nt arid that each will al~o "!J3 tes·t.sd as to his ·capaciv and .fitness. .... . -

J. The ab~ve rule has governed policy decisions and the.writing of.siibseqaent 

Ci vi.l Service ro gul.:>.tions •. · · 

In the Federal Parsonnel mmual (174~·), Chapter z, l h. 229, dated l February- 191.e, Rule VI, Section 6.l(f), homosemals are declared not sdtable for 

Federal employment. 

· . In Civil Service Ra~la tions 2104., Item Zl-210, unch?r: disqualific~tions for 

Federal er;iploynent is llstsd any person who is or ~s been guilty of criminal, 

· dishonest, inf'amou~, immoral or n~toriouflly disgraceful con~c~. 

In the Civil Service Cam...r!Jission1 s Or~3l?.izetion and Policy 1~ual, in Secti.011 

C-2, page OJ.J2,. in implementzition of Rego.il.ations 210h abova, under Item 2 it 

states, "homosexuals and othgr sexual perverts are not Sr:itable for Federal : 

empl0l'l'l9nt. n · · 

. . 

_ In the USA Civilian Personnel i·Wnial, Section A-2, p:!ragrapb 6 • .3 d(3), this 

· sane :matarial is restated. · 

For civilian er.;>loyees of' tbe DB:5)arb!lant of the Army,. procedurg for handling 

cases or alleged p::!rv:irsion, ci vilio.n enploy3es,,. is cu.:Tently C073red :.rt letter 

-:"file AGAO-S 230. 7L.l (7 Mar 52} SACPDI! dated 13 !·larch 1952. ?ar:igra;>b 2 o:f this . 

letter stat.es ":Js a i~sic principle, acts of. perversion ar~ r3$ll"ded !Jrima,ril1" 

as a matter of hck of qualification for govarrmrent employment. On:cy- if an 

er.iployea 1 s· dischar~ through th.a procedure set forth harein is not· possi';;)le and the 

employee occupies a sensitive position, will the case be handlad as a ~curitjy 

matter." Paragraph J_ states, "acts of :pJrv3rs:.on ara defined: for. the purpose of 

.. this letter, as abnormal sexual acts, included b-.it :?vt limited to homoser..!ality.tt . . 

pursuant to E .o. 1352a 
""'"·" .. 

TO: c/s FROM: SEC DlTE: 2 April SJ COI•i.fiE1' NO• 1 -· 

(continued) · 

.. 

4. On 11 Octob:3r 1949, a diracti ve was issued to the Secretaries of the 

Army, Hav and Air Force by. the Chairman C?f the Personnel. "Policy Boo.rd 

establishing policy- ragarding the discharge ot homosexuals tram the Armed 

Services. It has not yet been verified, but this policy statement is believed 

to be the background for the regulations which ar~ quoted later· •.. ". . . 

5. i:n 1ate 1949 or 19SO, nt t..'ie instigation of senator Wherr,y and Senator 

Liowr Hill, and aetuall.7 continued by Senator Hooey:, a complete and detailed 

Senate investi~ation was made on tha 5'.l~ject "Employment of Homosexuals and· 

Other Perverts in GO".'"enment. 11 An int3rim report was subilitted to tba ·- Conrd t-'~e on Expenditures in the Executive I>epartments by its SUbcommittee on 

Invastiga.tions and purs-.iant to Senate Resolution 280, 8lst..Congress.:. On page 19 

. or the conclusions the following ap~ears:_ . · · 

"Thero is no place in the u.s. government.tor perso:is who violate 

the· la.us and t."ie accepted standards o! morality, o:r who othomse 

bring ~~pite to tha FedGral serVice by- infamous or saarida:lous 

personal contil.ct. Such p3rsons are ~ot suitable .t;or ·gov-3nunant;. 

positions and, in the case of chubt, the American people are 

entitled to ha.vo errors or judgment on the part of their officials, 

if there must bs errors, resolved on tl-.G side 0£ caution. It is 

the opinion of this 3ubcommittee the'l.t those who engage in acts ot 

homoseX'.l&lity and othsr perverted 3ex activities are unsui ta.bls £or 

employ in the Federal government. This c·onclusion is basad upon the . 

.fact that persons who indulge in such degraded acti"Vity are committing 

not only illegal or immoral acts, bu·~ they also constitute security 

~isks in posi ~ions of p-J.blic trust.." . · · 

6. the following are quotations from Service Rggulations and Directives: 

a. D/A .A.'t 6o0-443, paragraph 2,, 0Sep:ira.tiori !-7andatori.-True·, confirmed, or 

habitunr hOJ!lose:mal personnel~ irrespective of sex, will not be permitted to 

serve in tba Anv in any"capacity and prompt separation of known homosex-.mls 

tram the Al'ffl3' is man~torr. n- · 

b •. -~~t.'nent 'ot tba AF - AFR .35-66, parPQaPll 2, "Poliq., - ·The policy of 

the Dap~nt ot tr.a Air Forc3 with respect to homos:axuals is outlined as 

!'ollc:Ms: (a} General." True, canflrsned or babitu~:i. hor.toeema.l~, irrespective . of sex, uill n~t be ·;r-rmitted to serve .in the Air .Force in arty' capacity and 

prO!!l!lt .~a}?:J.r3.ti.on of lmoim homosexuals .tr~ the Air Foree 5.s m.:L."ldator.7 ••.•• 11 . 

- c~ Depart~nt of the Navy - Navy Bulletin h9-82,. File· P 13 ... 7~ 10 Dec h9 ,. paraerapb S, nlmown hmnosexuals ara military liabilities and must 'be elimino.bd 

" from the Servi co. • • • " 

7. To trace the ib.11 story 01' the l!'ederal policy on bor.iosexun.ls would r3~·:uire 

ti considerable study of all Federal laws, statutes and·policy directives through- ~t 'the years. Tha above is the gist or the matter. 

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IESLIE H. WYMAN · 

Colon~l, Artiller;y