Same Sex Spouses to Receive Military Benefits

from the inbox:

Today Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that same-sex spouses of active members of the military will begin receiving protections that were previously denied to them, including the issuance of military identification cards, access to family support initiatives, and joint duty assignments. The Secretary noted that the Pentagon was doing what it could, within the constraints imposed by the discriminatory so-called Defense of Marriage Act.

Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:

"Today's announcement by the Pentagon that it will provide same-sex spouses of active service members some of the limited protections it can, within the discriminatory constraints imposed by the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, is a positive step that will help families and align with the military’s goals of treating service members fairly, while at the same time underscoring just how great a burden DOMA imposes on families and employers," said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. "All members of our armed forces provide the same service, make the same sacrifices, and take the same risks to protect our country – and the military, like many employers – would like to treat its people equally.  But DOMA’s gay exception means that the federal government, including the Pentagon, may not provide family protections to families or even respect married couples as married, if they are gay.  The problem is not what the military and employers would like to do; it’s that the law is tying the hands of employers and the military for no good reason.  It is time to overturn DOMA and get back to the practice of federal respect for married people and families, especially those serving our country.”