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Edward KocheEdward Koche
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Session:         Page of 617

Q:

Let me go into one other area of government service and I'll recall my own brief experience in this. When I was in the foreign service in a sensitive job, I had clearance then called the 502 clearance -- I understand it's the second highest clearance. Any male that was known to be a homosexual could not have such a job. This automatically meant he was a security risk. Now, are you doing anything in this area at all or do you know of any work being done in the area?

Koch:

Well, the first thing is: there's been a great deal of improvement in this area because the civil service has promulgated regulations that because someone is a homosexual would not bar that person from a job. That's the civil service. That doesn't get into this classified secret area. Now, there there is a problem, and the problem can be removed. If an individual is a homosexual and is afraid of revealing it, then there would be cause not to permit that person to be placed in a situation where he or she could be blackmailed -- and subject to blackmail having confidential, classified information. That's removed if you have the proviso that someone who is a homosexual who says that he or she is a homosexual and says, “I want to apply for that job,” blackmail doesn't exist anymore. And that is the way I would handle that aspect of it.





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