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The dramatic changes to and modernization of the U.S. military in recent years has been nothing short of remarkable, and today marks yet another milestone.
More than a year after lifting the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the military, the Pentagon has extended certain benefits to these service members and their families.
Gay rights groups have been pressing the Pentagon to extend equal benefits to gay service members and their families since the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The benefits include commissary privileges, access to family support initiatives and joint duty assignments. The move was one of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's last moves as a member of President Barack Obama's Cabinet, and it will likely be one of his most lasting legacies.
The Pentagon published a memo (pdf) detailing the revised policy and the scope of the changes, and though they're not universal -- the benefits are still not quite in line with those extended to straight couples -- they're pretty close.
And why aren't the benefits identical? According to Panetta, the Pentagon was a little limited by legal restrictions. An extension of all benefits, he said, presents "complex legal and policy challenges to due their nexus to statutorily-prohibited benefits and due to ongoing reviews about how best to provide scarce resources."
Or to put another way, the agency's lawyers wouldn't let Panetta go quite as far as he'd like, but the Defense Department can take another look at this after the Supreme Court review of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Regardless, it's yet another major step forward, and by any measure, another civil rights breakthrough for the men and women in uniform and the country they serve.
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If two people have been legitimately married by a state that recognizes gay marriage, then the federal government and military should not be looking behind the marriage certificate. They would not do it to a heterosexual marriage. So the same privileges should be extended to all marriages.
And will be once DOMA is gone, but right now DOMA requires them to do exactly that.
If DOMA is tossed then the federal government can retroactively pay benefits and possibly extend tax laws to legal same-sex marriages so that people can file amended returns. I am not sure how many areas of laws that DOMA covers.
That's what really is the issue. Not whether people "believe" in traditional marriages. It is the law being unequal for this couple, but not that couple.
I just worked on my taxes and talk about confusion. Too bad, I file it and that's it. Until they figure this %h!t out, that's how it's going to be.
I am married in 2008 to a same sex person. She and I have had combined income and debt with for 26 years. I am DP with this person, but I cannot file taxes in federal as such.
The female veteran with Spoouse and Child should be able to file for the same survivor benefits and the survivors should receive benefits without regard to a dwindling number of people that "object".
It's really that simple. I hope the Supremes conclude the argument. Yes people will still object, just as some object to interracial marriage or anti-discrimination. But the law as it is needs to adjust to actually be equal.
DOMA has to go and eventually states will no longer say "you can, but you can't".
I whole heartedly support the same idea as you..DOMA was not a good idea and it has caused an extreme amount of financial harm to the LGBTQ community since it first started. I like you have had a very bad experience with taxes last year on items I already owned and items that were part of my late partners estate...I feel like the tax laws should be changed to reflect the amount of real time income, instead of penalizing the surviving spouse after a death occurs in a home where the primary wage earner dies leaving a huge financial burden upon the survivor of the couple. Also the amount of Social security benefits after they die should be paid out to the survivor as a monthly stipend to off set the burial expenses and bills associated with a death in a family unit just like every one else..Social Security administration kept $106,800.00 of Davids' life time earning benefits without even attempting to bridge any gaps that occurred in my household.
That sound you hear in the background is not a terrorist attack. It is the sound of heads exploding all through wingnutteria. The streets of Salt Lake City are plastered with the contents of exploded crania.
Yeaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's not all that significant from a military point of view, more along the order of housekeeping. It doesn't help when people like dkm post bigoted drivel like that above. There is a rule in the Constitution that refers to "fulll faith and credit." That means states have to recognize the enactments of other states, and that the federal government does too, unless it conflicts with federal law. That's good enough if it is applied.
dkm was not posting anything "bigoted" but rather a recognition (to be celebrated) of the effect this will have on the bigots of wingnuttia, particularly the Morons, er, I mean Mormons.
Yea! Equal rights in the military!! As VP Biden would say, "This is a big @!$%#ing deal!".
Can I just say how much I LOVE Panetta? He is gonna be missed!