Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Cheney Backs Policy on Gays at Pentagon

Defense Secretary Dick Cheney defended the right of homosexuals to hold civilian jobs at the Pentagon, saying “their private lives are their business.” Homosexuality is grounds for discharge from the uniformed services, and Cheney said he does not find that “fundamentally wrong,” given the unique aspects of military life. On ABC-TV’s “This Week With David Brinkley,” reporter Sam Donaldson asked about a report in a gay publication, the Advocate, that one of Cheney’s top aides is a homosexual. Donaldson did not name the aide but asked if he would be asked to resign. “Absolutely not,” Cheney replied. He said the ban “applies specifically to the military, not civilians . . . and . . . it’s a policy I inherited.”