Episcopal Church Approves Same Sex Weddings

Again leading the way among mainline denominations, the governing bodies of Episcopal Church USA have adopted resolutions establish same sex wedding liturgies.  The move will no doubt drive a further wedge between the church in America and ignorance embracing churches within the Anglican Communion, particularly in Africa where ignorance and bigotry are worn as a badge of honor.   Towleroad looks at this welcomed development.  Here are highlights:

The Episcopal Church voted late Wednesday to adopt two new liturgies on a trial basis that aim to enable same-sex couples to marry in the church. The Church had convened in Salt Lake City to discuss the question of same-sex marriage. Today’s vote is the beginning of a process that if continued would amend the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and require action from two successive General Conventions.

The House of Bishops on Monday approved two liturgies for trial use that will permit same-sex couples to be married in the Episcopal Church, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent of this year. Their action came just days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples can now be married in all 50 states.

The two liturgies, which were in Resolution A054, include a gender-neutral version of the current marriage service in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, as well as a version of a liturgy that was approved in 2012 for blessing same-sex unions that now also provides vows of marriage. These rites do not refer to “man and woman” or “husband and wife,” but instead use “these persons” or “the couple” to refer to the two people being married.

Bishop Gene Robinson, famous for being the first openly gay bishop in the church, was present for today’s debate:

“I think it is time for us to do this,” [he said]. He disagreed with Bishop Edward Little of Northern Indiana that the church’s love and respect for gay and lesbian people was made clear in the Rite of Baptism. “We wouldn’t have been clawing our way into this church if that was true,” he said.

Late yesterday the House of Deputies likewise passed the resolutions by a wide margin. 

GOP Again Tries to Ban Gay Weddings on Military Bases

As noted frequently on this blog, the Christofascists believe that the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion only applies to them.  Worse yet, by extension, that means that they believe that they are entitled to force their religious views on all of society and that they can ride rough shod over the religious beliefs of others.   And like the good political whore that they are, GOP members of Congress are only too eager to show the depths to which they will prostitute themselves to the Christofascists and work to undermine both the U.S. Constitution and religious denominations that hold pro-gay views of gay marriage.   As MetroWeekly is reporting, the House GOP has again sought to ban same sex marriage ceremonies from military bases regardless of the beliefs of the denominations seeking to perform such ceremonies.  As is always the case with the GOP, it is ALL about appeasing the Christofascists and hate merchants.  Here are some article highlights:

A handful of Republicans on Capitol Hill are again attempting to write discrimination into U.S. military code with a bill introduced in the House of Representatives last week.

The "Military Religious Freedom Protection Act" introduced by Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) would amend military code in order to protect the "rights of conscience of members of the Armed Forces and chaplains." In the bill's attempt to protect those religious freedoms, same-sex weddings would be banned from taking place on any military installation.

[F]or advocates who fought the ban on out gay servicemembers, Huelskamp's bill is a desperate attempt to open the door to discrimination in the military.

"This is just more of the same from a dwindling number of folks on Capitol Hill who wish to cling to the discrimination of the past, rather than embrace the journey toward full equality and fairness that we have embarked upon as a nation," OutServe-SLDN spokesman Zeke Stokes told Metro Weekly. "This bill seeks to address a problem that doesn't exist."

In many ways, the bill resembles what was a final attempt by former Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) last year to include a similar "conscience clause" in the $633 billion Pentagon budget. Advocates believed the provision was an attempt to permit harassment as well as ban same-sex weddings from occurring on military bases, despite a Defense Department policy that already ensures no chaplain can be forced to perform a same-sex marriage.

"This proposal needs to be seen for what it is – a naked attempt to undermine DADT repeal and open service by green lighting discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual service members," ACLU Legislative Representative Ian Thompson said of Huelskamp's bill. "Given the acknowledged success of the transition to open service, including from the uniformed military leadership, this legislation could not be more ill-timed or ill-advised."

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who has tried to ban same-sex weddings on military bases before, is a co-sponsor of the bill, as are Republican Reps. Tim Walberg (Mich.), Vicky Hartzler (Mo.), Doug LaMalfa (Calif.), Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Louie Gohmert (Texas).

Given the anti-gay hysteria of the bill's sponsors, one cannot help but wonder how long it will be before one or more of them are caught having a "wide stance" in a restroom or  being caught up in some highway restroom sting soliciting gay sex.  The closet cases always protest the loudest.