Tenn. Sen. Mark Green, via his campaign website
Mark Green has withdrawn his name from consideration as Secretary of the Army. President Trump had nominated him for the position.
“Mark Green should never have even been considered for Secretary of the Army,” said American Military Partner Association President Ashley Broadway Mack. “His vicious attacks on LGBT people should have been disqualifying from the very beginning.”
Mack said it was the “chorus of voices” expressing outrage over this anti-LGBT nominee that made the difference. As a Tennessee legislator, Green encouraged the state to defy the Obergefell marriage equality ruling and called being transgender “a disease.”
On April, 21 current and former faculty at service academies, war colleges and other military universities “released a letter warning that the appointment of Mark Green as Army Secretary would constitute a ‘serious threat’ to the military’s core values and ability to draw on the best talent to accomplish critical military missions,” according to AMPA.
On Friday, May 5, before Green withdrew his name from consideration, 41 civil rights organizations, including Jewish and Muslim as well as LGBT groups, released a letter calling on senators to reject the nomination.
“Serving as Secretary of the Army is an incredible and vital role to the success of our modern military,” Matt Thorn, OutServe-SLDN’s executive director said in a statement. “Mark Green did not live up to the duty and honor that is expected of an individual serving in such a role. Mr. Green has better served the Army with his withdrawal than he would have as Secretary.”
Green would have succeeded acting Secretary Robert Speer, who followed Secretary Eric Fanning, the first openly gay Secretary of the Army.
Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said, “We thank the many senators, from both parties, who expressed concerns about this nomination.”
