In political reversal, Air Force allows for anti-gay discrimination

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said the decision concerned resolving "competing interests."

ZACK FORD
APR 4, 2018, 3:23 PM

The Air Force has reversed a ruling against a colonel who refused to recognize the same-sex spouse of a retiring master sergeant. According to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, allowing for the discrimination was “an example of a situation in which protected, and potentially competing, interests must be carefully examined and resolved.”

It’s incredibly uncommon for a secretary to overrule such a decision in this fashion, and there is significant evidence that it was largely a political decision.

The situation concerned Colonel Leland Bohannon, who was handling the paperwork for a retiring master sergeant in his command. Though Bohannon had no problem signing most of the forms, he refused to sign a certificate of appreciation for the sergeant’s husband. “It is customary to present the member’s spouse with a certificate of appreciation for the support and sacrifice made during the member’s career,” the Air Force’s guidance states. “The office responsible for preparing the member’s certificate also prepares the certificate for the spouse.”

Bohannon claimed that signing the certificate would “signify his personal endorsement of the same-sex marriage,” so he sought a religious accommodation to excuse him from signing it. That request, however, was not considered. A two-star general signed the certificate in Bohannon’s place.

Upon learning that his own commanding officer refused to sign a certificate thanking his husband, the retiring master sergeant filed a complaint alleging unlawful discrimination. The Air Force agreed, suspending Bohannon from his position and halting consideration of his promotion to brigadier general.

The First Liberty Institute, an anti-LGBTQ legal organization, appealed on Bohannon’s behalf in October. As part of that effort, First Liberty recruited several lawmakers and organizations to write to Wilson asking her to intervene and overturn the decision. Among the letters sent to Wilson was a letter from eight Republican senators, including Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and James Inhofe (R-OK). Another letter, spearheaded by the Family Research Council (FRC), an anti-LGBTQ hate group, was signed by a who’s-who of organizations and individuals that advocate against LGBTQ equality.

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https://thinkprogress.org/air-force-anti-gay-discrimination-6a63293e2f14/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5ac5832c04d30162744cec68&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook