Having announced only this week plans to permit gay weddings on naval bases, the US navy has now reversed its decision.
The official line is that the proposal has been halted because officers require more time to study the legal issues involved.
A memo on April 13th from Navy head chaplain Rear Adm Mark Tidd carried the news that on state bases where gay marriage was legal navy chaplains would be able to perform ceremonies.
It read “: “Regarding the use of base facilities for same-sex marriages, legal counsel has concluded that, generally speaking, base facility use is sexual orientation-neutral. This is a change to previous training that stated same-sex marriages are not authorised on federal property.”
Despite this another memo was released yesterday that declared plans were “suspended until further notice pending additional legal and policy review and interdepartmental coordination”.
Some politicians have spoken out against the move breaches the Defense of Marriage Act which restricts federal recognition of marriage to that of a man and a woman.
Missouri’s Todd Aitken, a republican representative collected 62 signatures from fellow congressmen in an effort to freeze the proposal.
The move was due to be instated after the ban on out gay troops is lifted later this summer.
