Good news, Army gays! The U.S. is finally catching up with the rest of the civilized world, kind of, a little bit. If Representative Adam Smith has his way, if you give your life for your country, the Army may actually recognize the existence of your same-sex spouse. And wouldn’t that be nice!
As usual, the federal Defense of Marriage Act is causing problems for married military gays. DOMA prevents the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs from recognizing same-sex spouses, even when they’re legally married in states like Iowa or Massachusetts. Imagine losing your husband in a war — and now imagine that the country that he died for doesn’t even consider him your husband. Ugh.
In response, Smith has crafted the Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act, which would let the Army treat soldiers fairly instead of tying everything up in anti-gay politics. It has 12 sponsors, and we can’t wait to see how anti-gay politicians will tie themselves in ugly logical knots to argue that soldiers’ spouses shouldn’t be entitled to survivor’s benefits.
Other gay-marryin’ news this week: Maryland’s ramping up for a referendum on its new marriage equality law, but our opponents seem to have a little cash flow problem. And Spanish dictionaries just got a little bit gayer.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Hyhybt
I don’t quite understand. How does it make sense to recognize your spouse only if you’re in the military? Or is this really something in-between recognizing the marriage and declaring couples to be total strangers?
Michael Bedwell
Bravo to the Congressman, but there is NO CHANCE of this happening legislatively as
long as one house of Congress is controlled by the Repugs. What our PAID gay advocates
keep failing to tell you is that much of this such as access to military family housing is NOT banned by DOMA or any other statutory definitions—as well as inclusion of LGB service members under the Military Equal Opportunity Program—is no farther away than the stroke of a pen by Commander-in-Chief Obama or SecDef Panetta. When are they going to marshall the Community and our nongay allies and MSM to make it happen?
1equalityUSA
My post is moderated so I’m chopping the words a bit: One Hun dred and fifty Mo r mons quit the Chu rch in a mass resig nation cere mony. The climbed up onto a mountain top and claimed a “De clar ati on of Indep en dence from Mor mo n is m” with the reasons ranging from the chur ch’s contro versy over politi cal activ ism against gay mar riage and doct rinal te achings that conflict with sci entific findi ngs or are perc eived as racist or sexist.
Wow! two pieces of good news in one day, Cooper coming out and young Mo r mo ns are waking up and leaving the spurious cu lt that has no historical, archeological base. The elders were so foolish to get involved in politics. Many more will leave and the world will be a better place because of it. The Repub licans will learn this hard lesson soon. Women do not forget being politic ally attac ked by the Repub licans very easily and LGBT will never forget the blatant big otry and opp ress ion and NOM pledges and John-latent-Boehner and all the rest of the closeted creeps in that party for years and years and years to come (Thanks to the internet, their words are merely a click away)
Sean Crane
@Michael Bedwell: I’m not sure what you’re saying, I’m in the USAF and im not able to get any family housing at all because of doma.
1equalityUSA
Romney will roll it all back. His NOM pledge will have him picking SCOTUS justices who discriminate against LGBT too. GOP is so behind the times. His magic underwear will not pull their rocks out of the fire. Women are angry and young people look at these fossils and groan at the ignorance and bigotry. GOP is sinking. Dead reckoning has them steering further and further off course, out to where the Sea NOMsters reside.