After President Obama called for the end of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” during the State of the Union address last month, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins began a fundraising and petition drive to keep the rule in place. He is now shocked, shocked!, that his public opposition to the President’s policy meant that his invitation to speak at an Air Force prayer luncheon was withdrawn by the military.
Soon after President Obama’s call for the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, Perkins views appeared on the Family Research Council web site. The Air Force withdrew his invitation to speak on January 29, 2010.
According to William Wan of the Washington Post, a letter was sent to Perkins by Chaplain Lt. Col. Gary J. Bertsch of US Air Force, which said in part:
“As military members we are sworn to support our Commander in Chief, and are forbidden to make or support statements which run counter to our roles as members of the Armed Forces.”
Perkins said his speech would have been “non-political” but did not elaborate on what he meant by that. In a press release from the FRC, Perkins, wonders out loud if chaplains would be “censored” in their sermons and whether chaplains would be barred from counseling gay service members to seek so called “reparative” therapies. Conservative blogs and news reports have been fired up by the news after the FRC sent out a release yesterday that was picked up published by sources like CBN and the Washington Times and others.
Of course, Perkins is not at all worried about the contradictions and pressures DADT causes chaplains. Chaplains must minister to all service members including gays and lesbians. The rules under DADT places these officers in untenable situations that compromises their ability to minister to gay members of the military.
A follow up statement issued today by the Air Force said:
“The Chaplain’s Office retracted Mr. Perkins’ invitation after his recent public comments made many who planned to attend the event uncomfortable. This was a local decision made by the Chaplain’s Office who wanted the luncheon to be inclusive for the entire base community. The Chaplain’s Office respects and defends Mr. Perkins right to express his opinions, and regrets any inconvenience to him. We thank and respect him for his prior military service.”