The U.S. Navy was going to train its chaplains to perform same-sex marriages in military chapels—until Republicans in Congress raised an uproar over the idea.

 

Following the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the Navy altered its chaplain training to accommodate gay weddings, which the service planned to permit as long as the ceremonies were consistent with local laws. The policy also was not going to require chaplains to perform same-sex marriages if it went against their religious beliefs.

 

Although Congress repealed the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military, many conservative lawmakers were opposed to the Navy’s new policy. A letter signed by 63 members of Congress asked the secretary of the navy, Ray Mabus, to reverse the decision authorizing gay-marriage ceremonies, saying the change violated the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

 

In response to the letter, the Department of Defense issued a statement that said the Defense of Marriage Act “does not limit the type of religious ceremonies a chaplain may perform in a chapel on a military installation.”

 

But the Pentagon added it would not recognize gay unions as valid marriages even if they were performed in a state that recognizes same-sex marriages.

 

Then, late Tuesday, the Navy caved to pressure from Capitol Hill, and rescinded its chaplain training policy.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Navy Revokes Guidance on Same-sex Marriages (by Ed O'Keefe, Washington Post)

Navy Same-Sex Marriage Plan Draws Opposition (by Charley Keyes, CNN)