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Showing posts with the label Pentagon

Fourth federal court drops final injunction against Trump admin ban on gender-confused soldiers

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Every obstacle to the Pentagon implementing the Trump administration’s ban on gender dysphoria in the U.S. military has finally been cleared away, thanks to a federal court rescinding the last of four injunctions against the controversial, long-awaited policy. Finalized late last March in consultation with former defense secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, the policy disqualifies from service “transgender persons with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria,” specifically those who “may require substantial medical treatment, including medications and surgery,” except in “certain limited circumstances.” Already serving members (who have been estimated to total anywhere from 1,320 to 6,630) may stay but will be treated as members of their biological sex rather than their “gender identity” and held to the dress and grooming standards of the former. Current medical treatment will continue for current members already diagnosed with gender dysph

Obama admin. threatens states that refuse same-sex ‘marriage’ benefits for the National Guard

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WASHINGTON, D.C. , November 27, 2013 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) – During a speech in October, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel slammed the decision by some U.S. states to defy a Pentagon directive ordering states that do not recognize same-sex “marriage” to process spousal benefits for gay members of the National Guard . He also threatened further legal action against those states. Since then, six of the nine states that initially resisted the directive have caved in to the Pentagon’s demands, including Texas, which had been the  first  to announce its intention to buck the order. Texas cut a deal  with the DOD late Tuesday allowing homosexuals to apply for benefits at state-owned military facilities as long as the federal government provided extra staff and funding to handle those requests.  But according to Michael Boldin, Executive Director of the Tenth Amendment Center , which studies conflicts between the federal government and the states, the Constitution is on the states’ side. B

Pentagon expected to offer benefits to same-sex ‘spouses’

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WASHINGTON, D.C. , February 6, 2013 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In the waning days of his tenure, outgoing Obama administration defense secretary Leon Panetta is expected to announce the expansion of some military dependent benefits to the same-sex “spouses” of homosexual personnel. The new benefits may include housing privileges, access to base recreational facilities and shopping, and joint duty assignments for same-sex couples.    Leon Panetta At least for now, health care coverage and some other benefits will remain off-limits to homosexual couples due to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman in federal law. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next month about the constitutionality of the law.  They are expected to rule on the issue before the end of June. The Obama administration has continually sought to expand benefits for homosexual government employees and their partners, as the president has mounted

After ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal, Senate urged to protect military’s religious freedoms

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WASHINGTON, D.C. , December 17, 2012 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) – Religious liber ties activists are calling on the U.S. Senate to amend the Defense Authorization Bill to include language protecting military service members from retribution for their religious beliefs.  Of primary concern is the need to secure protections for chaplains and service members from facing discrimination, investigations and possibly career-ending reprimands in response to deeply held religious convictions pertaining to homosexuality and same-sex “marriage.”  Will military chaplains face repercussions for holding to their moral beliefs on homosexuality and gay "marriage"? Dr. Richard Land says that may already be happening. In September 2011, the U.S. repealed the law known as “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” enabling homosexuals to serve openly in all branches of the military for the first time. Within weeks, the Pentagon issued two memos authorizing same-sex “marriages” to be solemnized on U.

Obama admin video tells Pentagon ‘Being gay isn’t about sex; it’s about life’

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English: Barack Obama delivers a speech at the University of Southern California (Video of the speech) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) WASHINGTON, D.C. , June 28, 2012, ( LifeSiteNews.com ) –  The Obama administration marked another historic first  on Tuesday by holding the Pentagon ’s  first-ever celebration of “gay pride” month , which included a presentation from a homosexual who said “being gay…is about life.” President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta addressed the precedent-setting event through recorded messages. “I’ve often said that the genius of America is that America can change,” Obama said. “We can pass laws  to right wrongs ...But here’s the thing: change never happens alone.” Panetta hailed diversity as the military’s source of strength. “During Pride Month , and every month, let us celebrate our rich diversity and renew our enduring commitment to equality for all,” he stated.  Brenda “Sue” Felton, who introduced her “wife” from stage, said be

US Senate defense bill removes military ban on sodomy, beastiality

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Image via Wikipedia WASHINGTON, DC , December 12, 2011 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) - According to the Pentagon, if a provision in the defense authorization bill repealing a military ban on sodomy and beastiality is passed, beastiality would still remain a prohibited activity based upon a separate, general provision. The measure to remove the bans was included in the Senate version of the defense bill, which passed 93-7 last week. According to  USA Today , one Congressional aide reports that it is unlikely to survive this evening’s conference between House and Senate leaders which will reconcile the two competing versions of the legislation. If it does pass, however, Article 125 will be removed from the Uniform Code of Military Justice . The article states: “Any person ... who engages in unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex or with an animal is guilty of sodomy.” The proposed change has met with public protest from conservative groups, presidential cont

US Senate provision allows military chaplains to opt out of same sex ‘marriages’

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WASHINGTON, DC , December 12, 2011 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) - A provision added to the Senate defense authorization bill would give military chaplains the right to opt out of performing same sex “marriages.” The amendment was introduced last month by Republican Senator Roger Wicker and approved by a unanimous voice vote. The measure was introduced by Senator Roger Wicker “Protections for military chaplains should be guaranteed in any policy changes being implemented,” Wicker said, alluding to widespread fears that the conscience rights of military chaplains would be trampled in the wake of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal. A September memorandum from the Pentagon authorizing military chaplains to officiate at same-sex “weddings” despite the fact that federal law prohibits recognition of same-sex “marriages” had further heightened such fears. Dr. Ron Crews, Executive Director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, praised Wicker’s amendment in a recent statement. “Chaplains sho

More than 2,000 military chaplains say ‘no’ to homosexual ‘marriage’

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Image via Wikipedia WASHINGTON, October 13, 2011 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) – A coalition representing more than 2,000 Evangelical Christian military chaplains says its members will not perform homosexual “wedding” ceremonies. The Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty announced October 5 that it is joining the Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services to say “no” to the September 30 Pentagon directive authorizing military chaplains to do homosexual “marriages.” “I was stunned at the memorandum that came out last Friday,”  said  Alliance executive director Dr. Ron Crews, who served as chaplain for 38 years.  “It appears to set the Department of Defense in opposition to Congress in that Congress has passed a definition of marriage that is now federal law.” The Alliance says that while the Pentagon acknowledges a chaplain’s right not to participate in homosexual “marriage” ceremonies, the new policy has placed the Pentagon “in the midst of a deeply controversial issue during a  Image via

Military chaplains doing same-sex ‘marriages’ is illegal protests congressional committee chair

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WASHINGTON, October 4, 2011  – A congressional Armed Services Subcommittee chair has said that September memos by the Pentagon announcing that military chaplains are permitted to officiate in homosexual “marriages” are instructing the military “to do things which are in fact illegal to do.” Republican Representative Todd Akin , of Missouri, said that the memos appear to violate a May 2011 amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act , which instructs that the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) applies to federal employees and federal property. Rep. Todd Akin “If the Department of Defense decides that they are going to have government-paid chaplains on government property performing homosexual marriages, they’re in direct violation of DOMA,” Akin told  CNSNews.com . “When you see essentially laws being created or ignored by the executive branch, that says we are bordering on lawlessness.” The Pentagon announced September 30 that military chaplains can officiate at hom