Bush not saying if homosexuality is immoral
The President of the United States has declined to follow his most senior military commander in stating his view on the morality of gay people.
Last month, Marine General Peter Pace caused a media storm by describing homosexual acts as “immoral” in the Chicago Tribune newspaper, likening them to adultery.
General Pace is the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Asked his view yesterday President Bush, a born-again Christian, answered with his trademark erudition.
“I – I – I will not be rendering judgment about individual orientation,” the President said.
“I do believe the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is good policy,” he added, according to dcexaminer.com
General Pace had outlined his personal moral opinion to back the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of dealing with gay servicemen.
He said: “I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts.”
“I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is okay to be immoral in any way.”
The discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was made law in 1993 by then-President Bill Clinton.
It states that commanders may not ask the sexual orientation of service members.
Gay men and lesbians can only continue to serve only if they do not engage in homosexual acts, and keep their sexual orientation a secret.
The main contenders for President Bush’s job have also got into some trouble for not being forthright enough about the policy.
US Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has came under fire for saying on last month that said she believed it is for “others to conclude” if homosexuality is morally wrong.
She then issued a statement saying: “I disagree with what General Pace said and do not share his view, plain and simple.”
Her rival for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the Presidency, Senator Barack Obama, followed a similar tactic.
He chose not to answer repeated questions on the morality of homosexuality, and tried to concentrate on the current US policy barring out gay, lesbian and bisexual people from serving in the military.
Later a spokesman for his campaign said Senator Obama did not think homosexuality is immoral.