Same-Sex Weddings
The pending lift of a ban on gays serving openly in the US armed forces is prompting a review of whether to allow same-sex weddings on Navy bases. Rear Admiral M.L. Tidd, the chief Navy chaplain has suspended such a proposal following a letter to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus from 63 Republican congressmen, who questioned whether such proceedings would violate a 1996 federal law-the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)-that defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman.
The letter complained that the use of federal facilities and federal employees to conduct same-sex marriages clearly violates the DOMA, which still binds the military. It's unclear how the Navy review will affect the Army and other branches of the US armed services. The initial view at the Pentagon had concluded there was nothing to prevent same-sex ceremonies on bases, but now the legal counsel is forced to reexamine that position.