POSTED AT: MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1999 11:35 PST
by Dan Gallagher Associated Press Writer
BOISE, Idaho (AP)—The U.S. military is unique in society by throwing together people around the clock, and gays and lesbians who decide to serve face an added sacrifice for keeping their sexual orientation to themselves, retired Army Gen. Colin Powell said.
But last week the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed the United States and the world are becoming an interwoven mosaic of people with different beliefs and backgrounds.
Powell spoke at a symposium sponsored by Hewlett-Packard and other large employers in the Boise valley intended to boost awareness of all forms of diversity, from race to religion and sexual orientation.
"The military is quite unique," said Powell, the son of Jamaican parents in Harlem. "We tell you who you're going to live with 24 hours a day. Gays and lesbians have an added sacrifice not to disclose.
"I can think of no other part of society like it," he said. "But no one should get unique treatment or not be equal under the law."
In 1993, the Clinton administration adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" military policy toward homosexuals in which they can serve as long as they keep their sexual orientation to themselves and do not engage in overt acts.
"I think inclusiveness has to include gays and lesbians. You don't have to approve or disapprove of gays or lesbians. The fact of the matter is they are citizens and they are free," Powell said.
The Idaho Family Forum, a conservative advocate group, has protested the Inclusiveness Symposium, claiming Hewlett-Packard's national ads on its electronics products promote expanded rights for homosexuals.
The niece of Martin Luther King Jr., Alveda King, came to Boise on Wednesday, at the request of the Family Forum. She said the black civil-rights movement is different from the gay-rights movement, in that gays have never been told, "Sit on the back of the bus, you can't vote, you cannot buy property."
Idaho has suffered from the national perception it is a haven for racists because of incidents such as white separatist Randy Weaver's gun battle with federal agents in the Panhandle.
"I agree with your governor that Idaho shouldn't be dictated by the least tolerant parts of society," Powell said of Gov. Dirk Kempthorne's earlier comments.
A new survey conducted for the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment by Boise State University's Center for Public Policy Administration has been released.
It found prejudice remains in Idaho, but those polled are taking a more favorable view of minorities than they did in the 1980s.
Still, the survey found 21 percent of the people who responded to the survey say they are somewhat or very unfriendly toward minorities.
Powell said the military was one of the first few places where a black could advance through the ranks.
His 35 years as a professional soldier revolved around the communist threat, so he was in for a shock in 1988 when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev told him, "I'm ending the Cold War. You will have to find another enemy."