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> One of the most basic things you do when doing a security clearance is checking that you don't have any bad things in your closet. I knew a guy years ago who
by skissane 2y ago
> One of the most basic things you do when doing a security clearance is checking that you don't have any bad things in your closet.
I knew a guy years ago who was going for a security clearance. And he was really worried about them asking about illegal drug use, and he told them the truth about his extensive past history of it. And then they told him they weren’t worried about it because the fact he’d been honest about it meant there was low risk of him being blackmailed over it, so they gave him his security clearance. (Not the US, Australia, maybe the rules are different here.)
- relaxing 2y agoYeah it’s basically true. Concealing it is worse than admitting to past use. Current use is still disqualifying, though.
- skissane 2y agoMy dad's partner was once interviewed by investigators, her friend's son (in the Royal Australian Navy) had put her down as a character reference for his security clearance upgrade. They asked her if he was gay. She said she didn't think so, given he had a wife and kids, but if he were secretly gay she thought as his mother's friend she'd be unlikely to know. Then she challenged them – I thought you allowed gay people in the military nowadays. (This was at the time the US still had "don't ask don't tell", but Australia had got rid of all such rules years prior). And then they explained that they didn't have any problem giving security clearances to openly gay people, but were worried about people stuck in the closet, that their sexuality could be used by adversaries to blackmail them.