Now this will drive the wingnuts bonkers: Navy will perform same sex marriages

[cali]

Navy Will Perform Same-Sex Marriages

— By Adam Weinstein
| Mon May. 9, 2011 12:29 PM PDT
blmurch/Flickr Commons

The military establishment, it appears, is willing to drag congressional Republicans kicking and screaming into the post-Don't Ask, Don't Tell era. The US Navy has authorized its chaplains to perform same-sex marriages on military bases in states that legally recognize such unions. That news came in a memo from the service's head chaplain (PDF), dated April 13:

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...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 a union) or a traditional wedding (e.g., a chaplain both blessing and conducting the ceremony).

The policy's unlikely to have a significant impact on gay or military communities: There's no naval base, for example, in Iowa, one of five states (along with the District of Columbia) that recognize same-sex marriages. And until the DADT repeal is certified by the Pentagon, no service members are likely to be hitching up at the Washington Navy Yard. Not only that, chaplains who disagree with gay marriage on theological grounds are under no obligation to perform the ceremonies, which shrinks the pool of willing wedding officiators to virtually nil.


But there's symbolic power in the policy change—enough to get a rise out of social conservatives. "This new guidance from the Navy clearly violates the law," said Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and has no problem citing chapter and verse of the Defense of Marriage Act, even as he stumbles over the Pledge of Allegiance and says the Thanksgiving pilgrims fought "unbiblical" socialism. "While our president may not like this law, it is unbelievable that our Navy would issue guidance that clearly violates this law. While a state may legalize same-sex marriage, federal property and federal employees, like Navy chaplains, should not be used to perform marriages that are not recognized by federal law."

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http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/05/navy-will-perform-same-sex-marriage

[Drale]

1. It always seemed to me that Navy folks had the most level heads of all the military people.

Thats probably not 100% true but thats my experience with people I know.

[Obamanaut]

3. That mirrors my experience as well. Retired Navy here. nt

[RKP5637]

2. Recommend!!! n/t

[sasha031]

4. can't stop smiling

:) it's wonderful and the right thing to do.

[progressoid]

5. OMG! It's the end of the world!!11!!!

k/r

[Flying Dream Blues]

6. Awesome.

It's great to know there is a thing or two headed in the right direction.

[IndyPragmatist]

7. I dont know if this is really true, but the Navy has the reputation

of being the branch of the military with the most homosexuals. I've never seen any actual statistics, but the Navy is often presented as having a large amount of gays (I guess just compared to the other branches).

Does anyone know if this is actually true?

And if so, any thoughts on why this is?

[xchrom]

9. Well - I believe gay men have had a tendency to move major port cities anyway.

I boil that down to 'escape'.

The same w/ the navy - as far away from home as possible.

[jberryhill]

11. Hello Sailor...

Wherever would you get a notion like that?

[glowing]

14. I don't know if its true.. or just specualation/ titualation about men out at

sea for months without women around... However, these days, women are actually allowed on naval vessles... Remember when that was a controversy.. allowing women to be out at sea with all those roudy men... for months on end...

[joshcryer]

17. Sub duty is still male only, though I think they did do trials on it.

My gay brother had some stories to tell when he was stationed on a sub, I can tell you that much. Obviously one persons opinion can't be taken as fact, and I did some digging for statistics, but they appear to hard to find, if they're out there at all.

[NutmegYankee]

19. Women will soon be serving on Submarines.

The Navy has already announced it and has trained a few for duty already.

[TransitJohn]

8. In the navy

:evilgrin:

[Motown_Johnny]

10. Support Our Troops Baby !!!! Support Our Troops!!!

[kestrel91316]

12. Seems like the Navy is and has been a bit more gay-friendly than, say,

the AIR FORCE.

And my own dad was a career USAF officer decades ago, so I get to criticize them.

[Matariki]

13. Woot! Wish I could hit the recommend button a hundred times!

[yurbud]

15. Why it will drive them nuts: now their rent boys will start pestering them to tie the knot.

[me b zola]

16. K&R!

[nichomachus]

18. I'm guessing

that there aren't a lot of Unitarian or UCC ministers in the services. They seem to attract Catholics and evangelicals.