Defense Department Offers Limited Benefits To Military Same-Sex Partners

It took 17 months, but the Defense Department has finally issued guidance about benefits that can be extended to the same-sex partners of military servicemembers now that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” no longer requires that they hide their identities. The list does not address some serious issues of concern, including health care, housing, and survivor benefits because of the Defense of Marriage Act, but does allow servicemembers to designate specific protections to their partners, including some through the recognition of a domestic partnership. Here are a few of the new benefits:

Service Members Group Life Insurance BeneficiaryVeterans’ Group Life Insurance BeneficiarySurvivor Benefit Plan Beneficiary for RetireesCasualty NotificationDesignation of Persons Having Interest in Status of a Missing MemberHospital Visitation PrivilegesDesignation of Persons Authorized to Direct Disposition of Remains of Members of the Armed ForcePresentation of the Flag of the United StatesDependent ID cardsCommissary PrivilegesExchange PrivilegesMorale, Welfare, and Recreation programsEmergency LeaveYouth ProgramsFamily Center ProgramsChild CareLegal AssistanceJoint Duty Assignments

The memo announcing the benefits notes that should the Defense of Marriage Act no longer apply to the department, policy will be to “construe the words ‘spouse’ and ‘marriage’ without regard to sexual orientation, and married couples, irrespective of sexual orientation, and their dependents, will be granted full military benefits.” It also contains a new process for same-sex couples to declare to the military that they are, in fact, domestic partners, which presumably even couples that are already married would have to fulfill to receive the benefits.

OutServe-SLDN praised outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for “getting us a few steps closer to full equality.”

View the original article here