The Montgomery Advertiser documented a recent event at the Alabama capital sponsored by the Sanctity of Marriage group, which was organized to support traditional marriage.

The paper recorded approximately 1,000 attendees, which included protesters who were there to support same-sex marriage. Notably, one of the protesters was an Air Force Tech Sgt:

Air Force Tech Sgt. Adria Winlock is also a mother, but she proudly wore a T-shirt that read, “I love my wife.”

“My wife is also in the Air Force stationed in North Carolina … she has two children, I have one, together we have three, we’ve been married for a little under a year,” Winlock said.

Winlock shared her view of those that support marriage as God created it: 

“I think it’s sad that Alabama is where it is right now as far as refusing to acknowledge where our country is going, to just be open-minded and accepting of other people,” Winlock said.

To be clear, military regulations specifically permit TSgt Winlock’s participation in this political and ideological protest. She is entitled to her opinions, and she is permitted to express them.

The interesting contrast, though, is in what happens when TSgt “Doe” chooses to make similar statements about his views of people on the issue of homosexuality — when his opinions are on the opposite ideological end of Winlock’s.  Saying little more than ‘homosexuality is a sin’ has created cries for court-martial and threats of career sanction against military members.

As Winlock implies, society and the military do benefit from being “open-minded and accepting of other people.” What some don’t seem to realize is they are far less “open minded and accepting” when it comes to religion than they are sexuality — a dichotomy that appears to be politically and socially acceptable.

If TSgt Winlock is free, as a member of the US military, to express her “sadness” over the moral state of affairs in Alabama — as she clearly is — those troops who hold the opposite view should be equally free to express their feelings on the subject.

But are they?

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