NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN TASK FORCE
1734 14th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20009
(202) 332-6483/FAX (202) 332-0207
TTY (202) 332-6219/lob_ngltf@aol.com

NGLTF RESPONDS TO D.C. DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS RULING IN JOSEPH STEFFAN
CASE

Washington, D.C. -- (November 16, 1993) -- The National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force (NGLTF) issued the following statement in response to the D.C. District
Court of Appeals decision directing the U.S. Government to reinstate Joseph
Steffan:

"This decision continues a trend of legal decisions ruling that the  ban on
gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals that continues under President Clinton's
'don't ask, don't tell' policy, is in place solely to accommodate the
prejudice against gay people that exists in the military.

"This court ruling is consistent with the findings of every study the
Pentagon has conducted on this issue, which have concluded that sexual
orientation is irrelevant to how an individual performs a job in the military
environment."

-30-

[this statement is attributable to Tanya Domi, Legislative Director of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force]