Trump appointee Heather Wilson: Sincerely held religious beliefs can excuse discrimination

[riversedge]

More discrimination to come as long as Trump is in charge of appointing people like Wilson


Trump appointee: ‘Sincerely held religious beliefs’ can excuse discrimination

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2018/04/trump-appointee-sincerely-held-religious-beliefs-can-excuse-discrimination/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Sendible&utm_campaign=RSS

By Alex Bollinger ·Wednesday, April 4, 2018




Col. Leland Bohannon U.S. Air Force

The Air Force lifted the penalties it imposed on an officer who claimed that his “sincerely held religious beliefs” prevented him from signing retirement documents for a gay subordinate.

This decision was announced by Donald Trump‘s Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson in a letter that argued that his “sincerely held religious beliefs” meant that his discrimination did not break the law.


The case involves Col. Leland Bohannon, who was removed from command and consideration for promotion when he refused to sign a certificate of spousal appreciation for a gay subordinate who was retiring, which is not required by law but is a common way to recognize the sacrifices military spouses make.

This is a paper that Bohannon has signed for every straight subordinate who has retired, but he said that signing it for a gay person would be the equivalent of “endorsing” marriage between two people of the same sex......................



..............Also, Wilson clearly agrees that Bohannon deserved a religious exemption to allow him to treat subordinates differently based on their sexual orientation. Her letter could stop future investigations into discrimination if the Air Force believes that “sincerely held religious beliefs” are a justification for anti-LGBT discrimination.........................

[NewJeffCT]

1. What if the commander was Muslim

and he refused to recognized Christian and Jewish marriages because of his deeply held religious beliefs? I wonder if they'd feel the same way?

[dsc]

2. actually a more likely comparison (particularly in decades prior) is interracial marriage

many, many people had religious objections to interracial marriages. Even more have them to interfaith ones. Of course, no one would let a chaplain get away with not recognizing them.

[GusBob]

3. Gosh that forehead is big enough to be a billboard

I'd like to tattoo something on there, maybe

"whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers you do unto me"