According to the Navy Times, the new policy of allowing openly gay and lesbian to serve in the military has caused the Navy Chaplain Corp to issue a memo allowing for Naval Chaplains to perform same-sex marriages on navy bases. Naval facilities may be used for the reception.
“‘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,’ the memo signed by Chief of Chaplains Rear Adm. Mark Tidd states. The memorandum, designed to update chaplains’ training guidance for the repeal of the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy banning openly gay members from serving, was posted by the conservative website Media Research Center.
In addition, the memo states that ‘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).’
Navy spokeswoman Lt. Alana Garas said that the new policy guidance was a revision to the repeal training and emphasized that no chaplains will be required to officiate at same-sex messages, if that conflicts with their faith.”
Read the full article here.
According to the article and at least one tweet, there’s already of move in Congress to block this.