Gay Military On Veterans Day (Video)

On this Veterans Day we must acknowledge our gay & lesbian service members who risk their lives to protect ours while their families are denied the critical protections of marriage because of the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA prevents the federal government from respecting the legal marriages of same-gender couples & forces the military to treat married gay & lesbian service members & veterans & their families differently than it treats all other service members & their families. DOMA unfairly denies married same-gender couples the 1,138+ federal protections & responsibilities that the government provides to other married people, dividing Americans into first-class & second-class citizens, with first-class & second-class marriages. Unlike all other married couples gay married couples are denied such important protections as Social Security survivor benefits, immigration rights, family & medical leave & the ability to pool resources as a family without unfair taxation. Army veteran & OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson stated, “Today, we remember all who have served our nation so honorably; but we reserve a special remembrance for all those who have provided the same service, taken the same risks & made the same sacrifices to keep us safe, yet are treated as second-class citizens by the country they are sworn to protect. The video we are releasing today depicts that stark reality painfully well.”

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