Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Has Caused ‘Two Or Three’ Chaplains To Quit

The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) has caused all of “perhaps two or three” active military chaplains to quit the military and “virtually no serious problems.” Conservatives forecasted that the military would lose untold thousands, and some anti-gay religious right activists even claimed the draft would need to be reinstated after DADT was repealed. The repeal, fully in effect for almost a year now, has had almost no negative effects on the U.S. Armed Forces, every reputable study has shown.

READ: Top 10 “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Repeal Lies That Never Came True

“Prior to repeal, various conservative groups and individuals — including many conservative retired chaplains — warned that repeal would trigger an exodus of chaplains whose faiths consider homosexual activity to be sinful,” an Associated Press story in yesterday’s Washington Post notes:

In fact, there’s been no significant exodus — perhaps two or three departures of active-duty chaplains linked to the repeal. Moreover, chaplains or their civilian coordinators from a range of conservative faiths told The Associated Press they knew of virtually no serious problems thus far involving infringement of chaplains’ religious freedom or rights of conscience.

“To say the dust has settled would be premature,” said Air Force Col. Gary Linsky, a Roman Catholic priest who oversees 50 fellow chaplains in the Air Mobility Command. “But I’ve received no complaints from chaplains raising concerns that their ministries were in any way conflicted or constrained.”

Wagoner, who commands five other chaplains at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in central New Jersey, said the chaplaincy corps was responding professionally and collegially to what he called a “balancing act” precipitated by the repeal.

“We’re good at this stuff — we want to take care of our folks,” he said. “We have to respect the faith requirements of the chaplain and we have to take care of the needs of the airman.”

The Post story opens with Col. Wagoner “watching supportively as an airman and his male partner celebrated a civil union ceremony.”

At what point does the rest of America denounce the lies and hate and just flat out false statements coming from the radical religious right?