Servicemembers
Legal Defense Network on Wednesday strongly condemned
President Bush's plan to award the Presidential Medal
of Freedom to Gen. Peter Pace, former chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
During a March
2007 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Pace
called lesbians and gays "immoral" and added, "I
believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral
and that we should not condone immoral acts."
"Honoring
General Pace with the country's highest civilian
award is outrageous, insensitive, and disrespectful to
the 65,000 lesbian and gay troops currently serving on
active duty in the armed forces," said Aubrey
Sarvis, SLDN's executive director, in a press
release. "Our men and women in uniform are
making tremendous sacrifices for our country and are
looking for the president to recognize leaders who offer
them praise and vision, not condemnation and
scorn."
President Bush
will honor Pace and five other recipients at a White House
ceremony on Thursday, June 19.