This Should Explode Some Heads On The Right

Back during the Clinton administration (1993) there was a well-intentioned but misguided effort to help homosexuals who wished to serve in the United States Military. It was called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". This new policy said that the military would no longer try to investigate and expose gays/lesbians and kick them out -- as long as they didn't not make their sexual preference known to others. In other words, the military would put up with homosexuals as long as they stayed in the closet.

Although a small improvement over the old "witch-hunt" policy, the new policy still meant gays/lesbians had to live a lie -- something not required of their fellow soldiers and sailors. It also meant that many good people continued to be kicked out of military service for their sexual preference, even though their job performance was excellent. This was simply unacceptable in a country where the vast majority no longer expected their gay/lesbian citizens to stay in the closet.

In the 2008 presidential election Barack Obama promised that he would do away with the already archaic "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (and he was overwhelmingly elected). It took a little longer than many of us had wished, but on December 18th of 2010 the Congress passed a law abolishing the policy and the president signed it on December 22nd. For the first time in this nation's history homosexuals could openly and proudly serve in the military.

The right-wing fundamentalists in this country tried to stop the new law. They still want to marginalize gays/lesbians and keep them as second-class citizens. But our military leaders knew it was time to change and they have been hard at work trying to institute the new policy. And so far there have been no problems -- after all, in the heat of battle a man or woman's courage and competence is a lot more important than their sexual preference.

Now the United States Navy has taken the final step toward true equality for the sailors in that branch of the military. On April 13th Rear Admiral Mark Tidd, Chief of Chaplains for the Navy, sent out a memorandum saying Navy chaplains could officiate the marriage (or civil union) ceremonies of same-sex couples.

The memo said, "Consistent with the tenets of his or her religious organization, a chaplain may officiate a same-sex civil marriage: if it is conducted in accordance with a state that permits same-sex marriage or union; and if that chaplain is, according to the applicable state and local laws, otherwise fully certified to officiate that state's marriages." It went on to say, "If the base is located in a state where same-sex marriage is legal, then base facilities may normally be used to celebrate the marriage. This is true for purely religious services (a chaplain blessing a union) or a traditional wedding (a chaplain both blessing and conducting the ceremony)."

Of course this has the right-wing in a tizzie. They are trying to claim the new Navy policy violates the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) -- even though that law has been declared unconstitutional by a federal court and the Justice Department (on President Obama's instructions) is refusing to appeal the decision. And even though the House Republicans have hired a lawyer to appeal the decision, it is unlikely to be overturned.

Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Lainez answered this charge by saying, "DOMA does not limit the types of religious ceremonies a chaplain may perform in a chapel on a military installation. Chaplains are authorized to perform religious ceremonies consistent with the practices of the chaplain's faith group in chapels on military installations."

I am not a religious person, but I applaud this decision by the U.S. Navy. Anyone who wants a religious service should be able to have one -- that is a basic tenet of religious freedom. No chaplain will be forced to perform any ceremony if he/she does not want to do it. It simply allows those chaplains willing to perform the ceremony to do so, and allows them to use base facilities.

This new rule hurts no one and violates no one's rights. In fact, it does just the opposite by guaranteeing the religious rights of all American citizens serving in the military (or those wishing to marry someone serving in the military). It is one more step toward true freedom and equality for America.