Chaplains can preside over same-sex weddings - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Chaplains can preside over same-sex weddings

Military chaplains can preside over same-sex marriages on military installations in places where same-sex marriage is not prohibited by state and local laws, according to a new Pentagon policy unveiled Sept. 30.

It’s one of the first policy changes since the repeal of the military’s ban on gays serving openly, which took effect on Sept. 20.

The memo signed by Clifford Stanley, undersecretary for personnel and readiness, notes that “a chaplain is not required to participate or officiate in a private ceremony if doing so would be in variance with the tenets of his or her religious or personal beliefs.”

In addition, a chaplain’s participation “does not constitute an endorsement of the ceremony” by the Defense Department.

In a separate memo also released Sept. 30, the Pentagon’s top lawyer, Jeh Johnson, said decisions about the use of Defense Department “real property and facilities, private functions for religious and other ceremonies, should be made on a sexual-orientation-neutral basis, provided such use is not prohibited by applicable state and local laws.”

The move will clear the way for same-sex marriages on military bases in places like New York and the District of Columbia.

Some religious authorities may continue to prohibit the chaplains they endorse from officiating over same-sex marriages. For example, the Archdiocese of the Military Services has a long-standing policy of barring Roman Catholic chaplains from performing same-sex marriages.

The Pentagon’s change was welcomed by legal advocates for gay and lesbian troops.

“The guidance issued today strikes the right balance between respecting the faith traditions of chaplains and affording all service members the same rights under current law,” said Aubrey Sarvis, the executive director for the Service members Legal Defense Network, in a statement issued Sept. 30.

“This is another logical step in the direction of full equality for gay and lesbian service members, and we hope the Department will continue to move down that path.”

But the move was immediately denounced by conservative groups like the Concerned Women for America.

“The Pentagon has clearly overstepped its bounds by declaring that military chaplains can perform same-sex marriages,” said Penny Nance, chief executive officer for the Virginia-based group.

“As part of the federal government, the Department of Defense must abide by federal law including the Defense of Marriage Act, which permits marriage only between one man and one woman.”