Yesterday, lostboyjim, wrote a diary about the Navy's new policy authorizing same-sex marriage as long as the ceremonies take place in states where it is already legal.
Today, the news hit Military.com. We get a few more facts and I have a few more questions.
First of all, you need to know that Military.com is not the place to turn for progressive news. Though they don't officially follow a political point of view, the readers tend to be conservative and the articles are often targeted in response. Thus, their opening paragraph (bolding is mine):
Navy chaplains will be trained about their ability to perform same-sex civil marriage ceremonies under new guidance that would take effect should the Defense Department move to recognize openly gay military service.
Fact #1 - the memo does exist and here is an excerpt you may find interesting:
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 (e.g., a chaplain blessing the union) or a traditional wedding (e.g., a chaplain both blessing and conducting the ceremony).
Question #1 - if a chaplain may bless the union of same sex partners, which does not require any permission from the government (State or Federal), then shouldn't a chaplain in any State in the USA be allowed to bless the union of same sex partners? In my limited role as a military spouse, I see this as a religious freedoms issue, not a DOMA issue.
Fact #2 - According to Military.com, the Pentagon is aware of the issue:
Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said Monday that the federal Defense of Marriage Act does not restrict the types of ceremonies a chaplain may perform in a chapel on a military base.
And ABC News quotes a step further:
"Chaplains are authorized to perform religious ceremonies consistent with the practices of the chaplain's faith group in chapels on military installations."
Question #2 - Really a repeat of the above... if DOMA doesn't restrict religious ceremonies, why does it matter whether gay marriage is legal or not in any state? A religious ceremony should be able to be performed in any state in the Union at any military base. It's religious freedom that is at stake here.
Fact #3 - The Army and the Air Force are a little behind the times on this issue:
The Air Force and Army do not include discussion of same-sex marriage ceremonies in their training. The Air Force said it is aware of the issue and officials are reviewing it to determine if a change in the training is needed.
However, again ABC News, "officials said that does not mean the ceremonies are necessarily prohibited."
Question #3 - If the lawyers from either the Army or the Air Force disagree with this policy, won't someone in the DoD will have to rule on it? You can't have one arm of the Armed Forces allowing something that the others don't allow.
Fact #4 - According to The New American, Republicans are trying to make hay while the sun isn't shining:
Representative Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) noted that the Navy’s response demonstrated the “type of uncertainty and confusion created in the rush” to dismantle “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and pave the way for allowing homosexuals to serve in the military. “Trying to make sense of this issue … is something that should have been thought out beforehand, assuming the administration was even serious about doing this efficiently, fairly, and respectfully,” Hunter’s communications director, Joe Kasper, told CNSNews.com.
Question #4 - What part of 'beforehand' doesn't he understand? DADT still has yet to be repealed. We are still in the beforehand. BTW, he's one of 63 members of congress who sent in this letter to the Secretary of the Navy.
Fact #5 - Conservative Pastors are being encouraged to remain in the Armed Forces:
Col. Matthew Goff, a Southern Baptist Convention army chaplain, recently told CBN that the SBC is encouraging its chaplains to stay in the military.
"[Chaplains] are a protected group among all other soldiers, if you will, and there's really no pressure point to make us violate who we are how we understand Scripture to be and the practice of that in our own lives," Goff said. "Once we're in a chapel setting and I'm the chaplain in charge, we're free to preach as God leads us to preach."
Question #5 - Don't you think that Col. Goff's statement applies to military chaplains who would perform same-sex marriage? I do!
I have a few more questions that don't have facts attached -
Question #6 - If you can be legally married by the State and your spouse is legally your spouse in that State, can you apply to live in base housing as long as that housing is operated by a Private Contractor? And, if you can, where do you show up on the waiting list? Let me explain. If the contractor has empty housing on a military base, they can accept applications from non-military to live in those houses. Well, what do you think? Where do we stand here?
Question #7 - If you can be legally married by the State and your spouse is legally your spouse in that State, does the local Officer Spouses Club have to accept you as a member? You may think I jest but the OSC is the last place where change tends to happen on many a base. Randolph AFB changed their name from Officer Wives' Club to Officer Spouses Club only within the last few years. Break down this barrier, and the housing issue will look easy.
Question #8 - If your same sex partner is the person you have declared responsible for your children when you deploy, will that partner get an ID card? Other guardians get ID cards with limited benefits attached in similar circumstances. Of course, I know that they should just get an ID card out right and be done with it, but I wonder what the answer to this one will be? And, will they be allowed to live in your base house since they're taking care of your children?
Question #9 - Can't we just get rid of DOMA, give equal rights from day one of repeal and do away with all the above headaches? I mean, really, how stupid can we get?
But, if we can't get rid of DOMA easily, then I say we start exploiting every opportunity possible. What other scenarios can you think of?
Updated by angelajean at Tue May 10, 2011 at 04:13 PM ART
Question #10 - can same sex partners get advice from the JAG?
Question #11 - I wonder if the Navy Lawyers were using the current underage drinking law to govern their decision? In the past, the Federal Government allowed 18 year olds to drink on Federal Property. About 20 or so years ago, the law changed so that military bases are required to follow the laws of the State where the military installation exists.