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Written by WiG
Jan 31, 2012
U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp this week introduced the Military Religious Freedom Protection Act to ban celebrations of same-sex partnerships in the U.S. military.
Huelskamp said the legislation would codify “protections of religious liberty of chaplains and service members” following the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
The Kansas Republican said the measure would allow a chaplain to refuse to participate “in any duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, service or function that is contrary to their own conscience, moral principles or religious beliefs or those of their faith group.”
The measure, according to Huelskamp, also would protect servicemembers who cited their religious beliefs as justification for opposing homosexuality.
Additionally, the measure, which as of this week had 10 co-sponsors, would make U.S. military facilities off-limits for same-sex weddings or partnership ceremonies.
“It will make certain that our military facilities are not used in contravention to the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which states that marriage is between one man and one woman only,” the congressman said. “Military installations exist to carry out the national defense of our nation, not to facilitate a narrow social agenda.”
Responding, Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign, said, “Huelskamp and other right-wing Republican members of Congress appear to have missed the memo from military leaders who say that open service is working just fine. Instead, in their compulsive need to use our brave men and women in uniform as political pawns, these members of Congress have invented issues that don’t exist in order to score some points.”
The bill is in the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services for review.
