Inside the Ring

NSA sex month

Political correctness continues to assert itself within U.S. intelligence. The supersecret National Security Agency, which conducts electronic eavesdropping around the world, is no exception.

NSA notified its 40,000 employees this week that June is National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

“During this time, we are going to increase our awareness of sexual orientation as it relates to the workplace,” Michael O’Hara, director of NSA’s office of diversity management, said in an e-mail. “Everyone has a sexual orientation — be it heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. There will be opportunities throughout June to meet some of our employees who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT); to hear about their experiences in the work environment; and to learn of their contributions to our missions’ successes.”

Not everyone at NSA agrees with the politically correct effort. Some members of the agency question whether NSA should be promoting the homosexual agenda.

The disclosure of NSA’s efforts comes as the agency is about to get stripped of major funding power.

A provision in the fiscal 2004 defense authorization bill would take away NSA’s power to build major electronic intelligence systems that cost more than $115 million. It would transfer the authority to the undersecretary of defense for acquisition.

The move is part of an effort by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to limit NSA’s budget power.

The agency’s budget is classified, but it consumes a major portion of the annual $35 billion intelligence budget.

“NSA can’t build systems, but it sure knows how to promulgate a social agenda,” one source told us.

Once regarded as an espionage recruiting vulnerability, homosexuality among NSA employees is now a point of pride. The agency is urging its employees to “listen, discuss and learn” about NSA’s homosexual employees who are “part of the NSA family,” Mr. O’Hara said.

“Participation in these events is not to be viewed as a statement of one’s sexual orientation, but as a statement regarding one’s commitment to learning and continuous improvement,” he said.

Not everyone at NSA can celebrate homosexual month. Mr. O’Hara’s e-mail includes a warning to NSA military employees, saying “please note that we honor and respect the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.”

The policy requires the discharge of homosexual military personnel who “tell” their orientation, although for the military agrees not to ask about it.

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