Bill Seeks To Ban Gay Marriage On Military Bases

A bill that would bar gay and lesbian couples from marrying on military bases and would allow chaplains to refuse to officiate over such unions was introduced last week in the House, Military.com reported.

Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp is the Republican sponsor of the bill.

“It will also protect the freedom of those in the military to express vocally the tenets of their faiths. And it will make certain that our military facilities are not used in contravention to the federal Defense of Marriage Act,” Huelskamp said in a statement. “Military installations exist to carry out the national defense of our nation, not to facilitate a narrow social agenda.”

With the repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the Pentagon issued guidance which stated that chaplains may officiate over the marriage and civil union ceremonies of gay couples in states where it's legal, including those taking place on base chapels. No chaplain is required to perform the ceremony.

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a group which advocates for the rights of gay troops, criticized the bill.

“Here they go again with another round of resistance tactics that have already been rejected by Congress and the American people. There is no need for the so-called 'protections' in this bill or the proposed regulations. No chaplain today is being required or pressured to marry anyone, straight or gay. Period. The bill's ban on use of military facilities and chaplains officiating at ceremonies for gay and lesbian service members is nothing more than plain, old-fashion discrimination. There is no place for that prejudice in our armed forces or in our country,” said Sarvis in a statement.