The House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday night to ban gay weddings on military bases - the same day President Barack Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage.
The Hill reports the bill forbidding gay and lesbian weddings at military facilities will be included in the Committee's version of the fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.
The House committee has included a military gay wedding ban in defense authorization bills previous years, and they are usually negotiated out of the final version of the measure, according to the Washington Post.
The bill would also allow military chaplains to opt-out of ministering or working with gays and lesbians. House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Todd Akin said of the measure:
"Chaplains and service members should not face recrimination or persecution in the military for standing strong on their religious beliefs in opposition to homosexuality.”
In response, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network released a statement that reads in part:
“Mr. Akin is trying to solve a problem that does not exist. There are already in place adequate protections for chaplains and service members in this area. No one in uniform is being required to go against their conscience, and no one is being punished for expressing their personal religious beliefs.”
What do you think? Should gays be allowed to get married on military bases?
