ate , ▁out ing ▁Williams . ▁Pet rel is ▁sc old ed ▁the ▁rep or ters ▁for ▁ign oring ▁the ▁story ▁and ▁ur ged ▁them ▁to ▁ask ▁Williams ▁directly ▁about ▁his ▁hom osex ual ity . ▁A ▁half ▁hour ▁into ▁Williams ' ▁brief ing ▁that ▁day , ▁R olf ▁Pa as ch , ▁a ▁foreign ▁correspond ent ▁with ▁Berlin ' s ▁Die ▁T ages zeit ung , ▁asked ▁Williams ▁if ▁he ▁could ▁confirm ▁or ▁den y ▁the ▁claims ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁gay , ▁and ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁he ▁had ▁discussed ▁possible ▁res ignation ▁with ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Def ense ▁Dick ▁Chen ey . ▁Williams ▁respond ed ▁by ▁saying ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁paid ▁to ▁discuss ▁his ▁personal ▁life ▁and ▁that ▁" g overn ment ▁people ▁don ' t ▁discuss ▁in ▁public ▁whatever ▁they ▁may ▁say ▁to ▁their ▁b oss es ." ▁ ▁A CT ▁UP ▁President ial ▁Project ▁ ▁Pet rel is ▁tempor arily ▁re located ▁to ▁a ▁r ented ▁a partment ▁in ▁Manchester , ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁to ▁organ ize ▁what ▁later ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁A CT ▁UP ▁President ial ▁Project . ▁The ▁aim ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁to ▁pressure ▁president ial ▁candidates ▁of ▁all ▁parties ▁to ▁address ▁A ID S ▁and ▁other ▁issues ▁important ▁to ▁les bian ▁and ▁gay ▁vot ers . ▁ ▁Pet rel is ▁launched ▁the ▁effort ▁in ▁Con cord , ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁when ▁he ▁dis