From an OutServe-SLDN press release( WASHINGTON ) Statement by Matt Thorn, Interim Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN on the reintroduction of the Veteran Spouses Equal Treatment Act in the U.S. House of Representatives this morning by Representative Dina Titus ( 1st District NV ):
"OutServe-SLDN strongly supports U.S. Representative Dina Titus in her introduction of the Veteran Spouses Equal Treatment Act. We have seen great progress in recent years with DOMA being struck down by the Supreme Court and marriage equality sweeping the nation. Unfortunately, the Veterans Affairs Department is still lagging behind in ensuring equal treatment and protections for same-sex couples.
Representative Titus's legislation will amend sections of Title 38 of the US Code to ensure that all military and veteran families have access to their earned VA benefits, regardless of their state of residence. This is a critical step that will help to make sure that every member of the U.S. military and their family has the same access to the benefits that they have earned in their service to our country.
This bill will extend important benefits to thousands of deserving military spouses. We should not allow military families to be denied the respect, dignity and protections that they have earned because of the state they live in or because of their sexual orientation. We fully support this important legislation and urge Congress to act quickly to advance this common sense legislation."
OutServe-SLDN ( OS-SLDN ) is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. With more than fifty chapters and 6,000 members around the world, OS-SLDN supports a professional network of LGBT military personnel and strives to create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.OutServe-sldn.org .
From The American Military Partner Association
WASHINGTON — The American Military Partner Association (AMPA) released the following statement today following the reintroduction of the Veterans Spouses Equal Treatment Act by Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation would change discriminatory language in Title 38 that prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from granting full access to earned veterans benefits to legally married same-sex couples living in non-marriage equality states.
"The ability of our nation's veterans, no matter their sexual orientation, to access their earned benefits should be an issue that transcends partisan politics," said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. "This bipartisan bill would finally give all of our nation's veterans, no matter the sex of their spouse or what state they happen to live in, access to the earned benefits they need and deserve. We applaud Rep. Titus and her incredible commitment to ending this unjust discrimination."
As service members transition from active duty, legally married same-sex couples in non-marriage equality states are denied full and equal access to many earned veterans' benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, including disability compensation based on dependents and even access to the full backing of VA home loans. Even after the Supreme Court's decision in the Windsor case, the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to follow a discriminatory provision in the governing statute — Title 38 section 103(c) — that requires it to look to the state of residence to determine the validity of a marriage.
The bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Mike Coffman (R-CO), John Conyers (D-MI), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Richard Hanna (R-NY), David Jolly (R-FL), Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R- FL), Mark Takano (D-CA), and Adam Smith (D-WA).
In August of 2014, AMPA filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of the VA challenging the VA's regulations. The challenge is now pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit [AMPA v. McDonald, No. 14-7121 (Fed. Cir. 2014)].
For more information about the American Military Partner Association and LGBT military families, please visit our home on the web at www.MilitaryPartners.org .
The American Military Partner Association, a non-profit and non-partisan organization, is the nation's largest organization for the partners, spouses, families, and allies of America's LGBT service members and veterans. Based in Washington DC, AMPA is committed to education, advocacy, and support for our modern military families."