Thursday, June 17, 2010

High Tech Gays v. DISCO

While reading closing arguments in the federal case regarding Prop. 8, I came across a discussion by the defendents' attorney of "the High Tech Gays case".  Say what?

Google... The full case name is "High Tech Gays v. Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office".  You heard me right: "High Tech Gays v. DISCO." The case went to US District Court in 1987, which ruled homosexuals should have the same security clearance process as others. It was overturned in 1990 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in 1990, and thankfully made irrelevant in 1995 by Executive Order of President Clinton, who barred the Federal government from denying security clearances on the basis of sexual orientation.

(Of course this is serious shit -- the gay bans on federal employees, and then on security clearances, ruined many people's lives.)

That said, "High Tech Gays v. DISCO" is the best-named court case ever, overtaking my previous favorite, Loving v. Virginia.

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