|
|
|---|
The Washington Post is tweeting that the Pentagon has revoked the U.S. Navy memo granting permission for chaplains to perform on-base same-sex marriages. This comes after two days of intense anti-gay lobbying on the issue by House GOP members working under the orders of the Family Research Council.
"If the administration keeps pounding its agenda through the military, we'll need the Navy SEALs to rescue marriage. Last week, we started to see some of the fallout from the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal. Without bothering to consult Congress-or the law-Navy officials decided to revise their training manuals to better accommodate same-sex 'marriage.' In a letter to the chaplain corps, Rear Admiral M.L. Tidd says it starts by freeing up military chaplains and facilities for homosexual weddings. 'This is a change,' Tidd wrote, 'to previous training that states same-sex marriages are not authorized on federal property.'
"Call it what you will, but that's not a change to 'training'--that's a circumvention of U.S. law. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)--which governs not just the military, but every federal entity--states that marriage is the legal union of a man and woman. Now that the ban on homosexuals in the military is overturned, the White House is trying to enlist the troops in its war on DOMA. And if the administration won't uphold the law, then it shouldn't surprise anyone that the President would order the military to ignore it." - Family Research Council head Tony Perkins, calling the decision to allow gay weddings on Navy bases "an assault on religious freedom."
It appears that the U.S. Navy has authorized the usage of military chapels for performing same-sex marriages in jurisdictions where it is legal. Lez Get Real reports:
The changes came in the form of an April 13 advisory memo issued to all chaplains which said the Chaplain Corps was revising its Tier I DADT Repeal training manuals, which had previously indicated that same-sex marriages are not authorized on federal property. Citing “additional legal review” by Navy attorneys, the Chief of Navy Chaplains, Admiral Michael Tidd said the Navy “has concluded that, generally speaking, base facility use is sexual orientation neutral.” “If the base is located in a state where same-sex marriage is legal, then the base facilities may be used to celebrate the marriage,” added Tidd.The above-cited memo also excuses chaplains from performing any ceremony that conflicts with their religious beliefs.
Women24 reports from South Africa:
We’ve heard of blind dates – but the thought of marrying someone the first time you get hitched to them is a little crazy, isn’t it? As part of a reality wedding show, Lloyd Kandlin and Shane Everts came face to face for the first time on their wedding day. The couple got hitched on Saturday, 26 March, in a stylish ceremony worth R1.4 million. Lloyd Kandin was chosen as the first groom and had to decide between 5 bachelors who he has never met but only spoke to on radio. Under the pseudonym Lekker Larry, Lloyd proposed to proposed to Shane Everts (Hastige Hendrik) at the Grand Daddy Hotel – each of them were wearing masks.At least there wasn't a rose ceremony.
NOM bleats the following on their YouTube channel:
Homosexual activists have protested outside the home of a Christian florist in Canada because she will not provide flowers for a lesbian wedding. The protestors dropped flowers tied with rainbow-coloured ribbons on the front lawn of the florist's suburban home, and demanded that she be hauled before the courts. The intimidating protest was sparked when the lesbian couple's 'wedding planner' wrote about the Christian florist's stance on Twitter. Florist Kim Evans runs her business from her home in Moncton, New Brunswick. She previously told the lesbian couple by email: "As a born-again Christian, I must respect my conscience before God and have no part in this matter." Outside the florist's home, protestors spoke to news reporters, claiming they were 'spreading a message of tolerance'.NOM is also outraged that "local authorities did nothing to stop the protest." While the New Brunswick Human Rights Act bans businesses from refusing customers on the basis of sexual orientation, no claim has yet been filed against the florist.
A florist in New Brunswick has refused to provide flowers for a gay wedding because she "must respect her conscience before God."
After agreeing to provide the flowers for a wedding, Kim Evans of Petals and Promises Wedding Flowers sent an email last month to the couple, saying she didn't know it was a same-sex wedding and would have no part of the ceremony. "I am choosing to decline your business. As a born-again Christian, I must respect my conscience before God and have no part in this matter," the email said. Evans has not returned calls from CBC News to explain her decision. Mario Bourgeois Leduc, wedding planner for the couple, who didn't want their names released, said he was appalled by the florist's email, especially since "you're celebrating love and you're going against all of the odds to celebrate what is important in your life." "This is going to stay with them for years, because they were again told that their lives are not OK."According to the New Brunswick Human Rights Act, businesses cannot refuse customers based on sexual orientation. This Saturday a group of LGBT activists will hold a protest at the shop.
A group of gays and lesbians form New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are planning a protest at Petals and Promises florist shop, 39 Glen Pine Drive, in Riverview, New Brunswick. The demonstration will take place on Saturday, March 19, from 3 to 6 PM. Protesters are encouraged to bring flowers to lay at the doorstep of the florist shop to make the point that the LGBT community is aware of the illegal actions of the florist in refusing services for a same-sex wedding, yet they are not condemning them for their religious beliefs.Should the couple pursue a complaint, you can bet this incident will be heralded by the Christianist right as yet another example of the legalized homofacism coming to America.
Just released is My Uncle's Wedding, a new book intended to explain same-sex marriage to kids ages 4-8 who may be invited to attend the ceremony.
"This children's book is the perfect gift for any child who loves a good story and especially children with gay people in their family," said Molly McKay, National Media Director for Marriage Equality USA. "The author approaches the subject of same-sex marriage with a child's sensitivity and sensibility, and the beautiful illustrations are sure to be enjoyed by kids and parents alike." The message in the book is one of love and equality, but it is handled well and without being preachy. The protagonist observes the proceedings with childlike innocence, simply accepting that his two uncles love each other and should celebrate that. It's no different from any other wedding. And at no point does the story feel heavy-handed.My Uncle's Wedding is now on sale via Amazon and the above link. Get ready for the wingers to start screaming about "indoctrination."
Saskatchewan's provincial Court of Appeals has ruled that it is unconstitutional to allow marriage commissioners to opt-out of performing same-sex weddings due to religious objections. In its decision, the Court noted that marriage commissioners are "the only option" for Canadians who wish to marry in a non-religious ceremony.
The Appeal Court said that accommodating commissioners' religious convictions does not justify discriminating against same-sex couples who want to tie the knot. Five judges on the bench at Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal have been considering the case since it heard arguments on the proposed law last May. That's when the provincial government sought advice on two versions of its proposed law -- one that would allow all of the province's approximately 370 commissioners to refuse to wed couples on religious grounds, and another that would only allow the exemption for those who held the job before gay marriage was legalized in 2004. In the ruling issued Monday, the court said the effect of both options runs counter to Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. "Either of them, if enacted, would violate the equality rights of gay and lesbian individuals. This violation would not be reasonable and justifiable within the meaning of s. 1 of the Charter. As a result, if put in place, either option would be unconstitutional and of no force or effect."Stand by for the World Net Daily headline: "Canada FORCES Christians To Marry Homosexuals! And It Can Happen HERE!"
UPDATE: That didn't take long. Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber just tweeted: "Liberty of conscience dead in Canada. Dying here."
