Retired US Marine General James Mattis sat through hearings with the US Senate yesterday on the path to his confirmation as Secretary of Defense. Gen Mattis is hailed as a no-nonsense, non-political straight-talker, yet his answers to the Senate Armed Services Committee managed to create opposite reactions from allies in the homosexual movement.

Josh Israel at the left-leaning ThinkProgress declared “Defense nominee Mattis won’t say if women and LGBT people should be able to serve,” while the infamous Ashley Broadway of the military-gay advocacy AMPA issued a press release saying “General Mattis Indicates He Will Not Roll Back Open LGBT Military Service As Secretary of Defense.”

Initially, the Military Partners and Families Coalition — the redundant homosexual advocacy group to the AMPA — agreed with ThinkProgress, but under criticism finally posted video of Gen Mattis’ testimony and simply said “Decide for yourself.”

Perhaps Gen Mattis is adept at political linguistic gymnastics after all.

More objectively, the Stars and Stripes decided Gen “Mattis backs women in combat, NATO alliance” — and omitted the reference to homosexuals.

Finally, Senator Ted Cruz — who sits on the SASC — praised Gen Mattis for his resistance to political correctness and his stated support for religious liberty [emphasis added]:

I am encouraged by Gen. Mattis’ stated commitment to stopping the culture of political correctness in the military, which distracts our military leadership from its No. 1 mission of defending our country. He has also affirmed his belief in the free exercise of religion as a founding principle of our nation.

I could not agree more, and I am confident that the general will reverse the Obama administration’s outrageous hostility toward religious freedom in the military, including ceasing cases of punishing military chaplains for expressing their beliefs while doing their jobs.

We live in interesting times.

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