The Times Mirror Company; Los Angeles Times - May 04, 1995, Thursday, Orange County Edition SECTION: METRO; PAGE: B-4
Gebe Martinez; Times Staff Writer

In a letter to Rep. William F. Clinger Jr. (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, Dornan called for congressional hearings on the program, saying he has received "dozens of complaints" from federal workers.

He said calls and letters to his office indicated the AIDS awareness program "included graphic discussions about sexual activities that many federal employees view as lewd, objectionable and humiliating."

A spokesman for the Washington-based AIDS Action Council said the federal program is similar to others used by private corporations to improve HIV/AIDS prevention awareness and create "a more accepting and supportive atmosphere for people infected or affected by HIV."

"Conservatives have tried to assert for a long time that information equals support (for homosexuality)," said Jay Coburn, a lobbyist for the AIDS Action Council. "What we are doing is trying to provide life-saving information that's not promoting any kind of sexual behavior."

Created under a directive signed by the President in 1993, the "AIDS At Work" program was designed to increase federal workers' knowledge of how the disease is transmitted, address workplace issues and create "positive attitudes about working alongside people living with HIV/AIDS."

But in his letter to the committee chairman, Dornan said reports he has received allege that the training varies from one agency to another and that it is "being used to aggressively advance" homosexuality.

"A Defense Department worker said her class included a slide show of 'sex toys' and flavored condoms," Dornan stated in his letter. "I find it outrageous that the federal government is coercing its employees--at taxpayer expense--to undergo hours of training which, in many cases, is not only highly offensive but also promotes homosexuality or bisexuality as just another healthy lifestyle choice."

Dornan, who is chairman of the House Military Personnel subcommittee and a recently announced candidate for President, said he is also investigating whether members of the armed forces are required to undergo the HIV/AIDS awareness training.

The federal program, he contended, is a "clear violation of First Amendment rights, both moral and religious."

Coburn said that while he could not speak to the content of the programs offered by each agency, a lack of uniformity may be the result of Congress' unwillingness to provide adequate funding for workplace AIDS prevention programs.

Instead of spending money on a "large-scale investigation" into the ongoing training, Coburn suggested using the funds on an effective program.

"It's unfortunate that Congressman Dornan is using a few occasions where perhaps there were problems with the training to advance his longstanding and hateful agenda against homosexuality," Coburn said.

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