Navy Backtracks On Same-Sex Marriage Guidelines For Chaplains

Just a day after announcing that chaplains would be permitted to perform wedding services on base in states where same-sex marriage is legal, the Navy is backing down from that plan and rescinding the guidelines:

The Navy has abruptly reversed its decision to allow chaplains to perform same-sex marriages once the military’s ban on openly gay service members is lifted, after dozens of House lawmakers complained.

Rear Adm. Mark Tidd, chief of Navy chaplains, issued a one-sentence memo Tuesday announcing that the earlier decision has been “suspended until further notice pending additional legal and policy review and inter-departmental coordination.”

A senior Navy official told Fox News the legal counsel determined the suspension would be necessary “until broader legal and policy questions are answered.”

This strikes me as the proper decision given the current state of Federal Law.
FILED UNDER: Gender Issues, Military Affairs, US Politics, , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. TG Chicago says:

    Quick question. Pick a state where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized. Let’s say Texas.

    If a church in Texas holds a same-sex marriage ceremony, but nobody ever issues a state-sanctioned marriage license, has any law been broken?

    Of course not. But for some reason, people have trouble seeing the difference between religious marriage and legal marriage.

  2. jd says:

    “WE DECLINE TO ACT AS AGENTS OF THE STATE IN PERFORMING CIVIL MARRIAGES”
    “APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY CONGREGATION”
    “Resolution to refrain from performing the state right/legal contract aspects of marriage at First United Church of Tampa (UCC) while continuing to perform the spiritual/religious rite of marriage blessings for couples without regard to, or discrimination based upon, the sexual orientation or gender of the participants”

    My church. I’m very proud of them.

    http://ucctampabay.org/civilmarriages3.htm