en ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁during ▁the ▁G ulf ▁War , ▁acting ▁as ▁a ▁Pent agon ▁sp ok esp erson . ▁His ▁hom osex ual ity ▁was ▁considered ▁an ▁open ▁secret ▁in ▁some ▁Washington ▁circles . ▁Pet rel is ' ▁press ▁release ▁stated , ▁" P ete ▁Williams , ▁an ▁open ly ▁clos et ed ▁gay ▁man , ▁hyp oc rit ically ▁remains ▁silent ▁in ▁his ▁job ▁as ▁Pent agon ▁sp okes man , ▁while ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Def ense ▁continues ▁its ▁ir r ational ▁policy ▁of ▁e ject ing ▁thousands ▁of ▁g ays ▁and ▁les bi ans ▁from ▁the ▁armed ▁services ." ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁press ▁conference , ▁Pet rel is ▁un fur led ▁a ▁poster ▁bearing ▁an ▁image ▁of ▁Williams ▁that ▁read : ▁P ET E ▁W ILL IA MS ▁A BS OL UT EL Y ▁Q UE ER : ▁P ENT AG ON ▁SP OK ES PER SON , ▁T AP ▁D AN C ER , ▁CON SUM M ATE ▁Q UE ER . ▁No ▁one ▁reported ▁the ▁story , ▁but ▁Pet rel is ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Pent agon ▁on ▁August ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁to ▁intercept ▁rep or ters ▁as ▁they ▁entered ▁the ▁building ▁for ▁a ▁regularly ▁scheduled ▁T ues day ▁morning ▁brief ing . ▁Pet rel is ▁held ▁an ▁imp rom pt u ▁press ▁conference . ▁He ▁carried ▁with ▁him ▁a ▁box ▁of ▁copies ▁of ▁an ▁article ▁by ▁Michel ang elo ▁Sign or ile ▁from ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁Adv oc