Local Gay Bar: Den of Terrorists?

Are Gays really plotting to overthrow the government of the United States? Do they represent a clear and present danger to our National Security? Who can say. All we know is that the NSA won’t confirm or deny that it has collected evidence on the gay community (as reported in RAW STORY):

The National Security Agency (NSA) will “neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence” of information that may have been obtained through agency surveillance of the gay rights groups, RAW STORY has learned.

The agency made the statement in a June 5 letter to counsel for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN).

Well, we’ve all heard about the evil “Gay Agenda” for years from Christain fundamentalists, but who knew the NSA was taking them seriously? But then, if they’ll spy on Quakers and Vegans, why not spy on Gays?

Here’s what the NSA letter to SLDN had to say:

The existence or nonexistence of the information you requested is exempt from disclosure pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Section 552(b)(1) which protects properly classifiable information. The fact of the existence or nonexistence of such information is properly classified matter under Executive Order 12958, as amended …

More from the SLDN press release on the flip.

SLDN sought information, through a Freedom
of Information Act request, after media reports indicated the agency may have been monitoring groups and individuals opposed to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel. The June 5 letter was sent in response to SLDN’s appeal of NSA’s refusal to release any information related to that surveillance. The appeal was filed on SLDN’s behalf by the law firm of Proskauer Rose LLP.

“2006 is the new 1984,” said SLDN executive director C. Dixon Osburn. “The federal government’s Orwellian surveillance programs of ordinary, law-abiding citizens violates our right to privacy under current law. The government’s refusal to disclose its surveillance programs erodes the public trust.”

The NSA letter, from William B. Black, Jr., notes that “any substantive response to (the original) request would tend to confirm or deny specific activities.” SLDN has up to five years to appeal the NSA’s response.

I guess we finally know the reason why they have a policy called “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

NSA Spying