Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ) of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
As happened last year, the Senate has approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) without including the multiple anti-gay provisions advanced by the House. Among the provisions House Republicans added this year was Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-MO) “license to bully” provision, which would have justified anti-gay discrimination and harassment based on religious beliefs or moral principles. Another would have prevented same-sex marriages on any military property, even in states where they are legally recognized.
OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson applauded the decision:
ROBINSON: The Department of Defense has already made it clear – and appropriately so – that decisions about the use of facilities should be made on a sexual orientation neutral basis. Anything else is discrimination, pure and simple.
The House and Senate must still approve a conference report, but that process will hopefully follow last year’s model of leaving the anti-gay provisions out as passed by the Senate.
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