From the Washington Times
Some military Chaplain Corps personnel believed that the Biden administration’s mandates on preferred pronouns, restroom access and other gender identity policies raised “significant religious liberty concerns” for American troops, according to an internal Pentagon memo shared exclusively with The Washington Times.
The June 2023 document, which has not been previously reported, spelled out 11 specific reservations said to have been expressed by Unit Ministry Teams, or UMTs, inside Army Special Operations Command. The concerns centered on whether the Biden administration’s gender identity policies — a core component of what critics have long described as the left-wing woke agenda being implemented in the military at that time — ignored objections raised on religious grounds.
“It places a burden on individuals who object to using pronouns that conflict with their faith and conscience,” the memo reads in part.
“Furthermore, the lack of religious accommodation, diversity of viewpoint, and consideration for safety and modesty concerns call into question the balance between accommodating one group’s needs and respecting the religious freedoms of all service members,” the memo says. “It is crucial to find workable solutions that accommodate the needs of all service members while upholding religious liberty and respecting diverse beliefs.”
The document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the nonprofit watchdog group Center to Advance Security in America.