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A federal appeals court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional; the Senate and House of Representatives have both introduced the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA; and the President has openly voiced his support for gay marriage and the repeal of DOMA, while also directing the Department of Justice to cease defending the discriminatory law on the grounds of its unconstitutionality.
Add your voice of support to the national conversation. Send a copy of the latest OutServe Magazine “Families” edition to your congress members. Costing only 30 dollars to send to ALL of your congress members, It’s easy, it’s quick, and most importantly, it’s coming from you, their constituent. Your congress member will be able to see first-hand how DOMA affects your life. They will read the moving stories of families who lack the same support their straight counterparts receive, and they will see the faces of countless LGB military families.
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Faces of Our Families
By David Small
These are the faces of gay and lesbian military families. Some are legally married in states that allow same-gender marriage. Some are engaged. Some have entered into legally recognized social contracts and get state benefits. Some have been together for decades. Some are newlyweds. All are in loving, stable relationships, facing the joys and tribulations that come with any partnership, gay or straight. And all are military families living under the difficulty imposed by the Defense of Marriage Act, which prevents the Department of Defense from providing the same level of support and recognition to them as it does to their straight counterparts—counterparts who likely have very similar photos as these.
McLaughlin v. United States
Meet the Military Families Fighting for Equality in Court
By: Zeke Stokes, Communications Director, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
In October 2011, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) announced the filing of landmark federal litigation, suing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, on behalf of current and former service members seeking equal recognition, benefits, and family support for equal sacrifice and service in the U.S. Armed Forces. The plaintiffs, each legally married, want the armed services to recognize their families, and want to seek the same family support and benefits for their same-sex spouses that the services and Department of Veterans Affairs provide to opposite-sex spouses.
Read More »He Came Out, So I Went In
One straight military spouse’s tale of hope
By Meredith Simpson
Everyone has a story to tell. My story became a tale of adventure when I married a Marine almost nine years ago. When we met, I didn’t know what a Marine did. I had no military background, no military experience, and no military affiliations. Ignorance was bliss, and I used that bliss to carry me through three deployments, five household moves and numerous family separations for training.
War Journal
Gay, married and deployed: Ijpe and Thom’s story
By Sgt 1st class Ijpe DeKoe
Thom and I met in 1998 while working at the same Boy Scout camp. We briefly dated and then enjoyed a decade of close friendship, the defining characteristic of which was distance. In March 2011, while on vacation in New Orleans, we realized that our relationship went far deeper than any other connection we had experienced separately. We began dating and made plans for him to move to my duty station in Memphis, Tenn. Though we both realized the risks associated with living together off-post, and the restrictions that existed under “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT), we were in love and willing to take that chance.
Opposing DOMA
One Couple in the Fight for Life
By David Small
Charlie Morgan’s voice has been muted by cancer. It has spread and is putting pressure on her vocal cords. But while she speaks with a soft whisper now, her voice has never been louder. Her fight to ensure her small and loving family is taken care of in the event the cancer overcomes her life is being heard loudly. From the local papers in New Hampshire to the halls of Congress, Charlie and Karen Morgan are the national faces of resistance to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Finding Hope
2nd Lt. Hope Cronin and her wife, Kathryn Trammell, work at building a life—and stability—in Japan.
By Liza Swart
A Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) is important while serving overseas because it defines an individual’s rights as a U.S. citizen while living in a host nation. It affects everything from visa duration to access to facilities on base; it also provides legal rights unique to those holding SOFA status. SOFA status is granted to legal dependents of U.S. service members serving abroad. It is one of the many benefits not granted to same-sex married couples under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). For 2nd Lt. Hope Cronin and her wife, Kathryn Trammell, DOMA is inconvenient, but it isn’t stopping them from living together as a family.
My Two Dads
A Sailor’s Story
By Neal Simpson
At first glance, Justin Ossola seems like most other Navy lieutenants I’ve met. Clean cut, dark hair and physically fit. A 2006 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (and recently on the staff), Ossola lives in Annapolis with his wife Nicole and their nine-month-old son. He is currently working on his MBA at Georgetown and recently completed his service obligation in the Navy. By all accounts, Justin’s life has been quite a success—not too bad for a straight guy with two gay dads.
Coming Home & Coming Out
Yellow Ribbon Program Inclusive of Gay Families
By Charlie Vest
Soldiers, military families, children from schools, civil service employees, contract personnel and citizens from the communities surrounding Fort Knox, Ky., set an unofficial world record Nov. 6, 2011, with the largest Yellow Ribbon formation made up of 2,216 people on Fort Knox.
As I prepare to redeploy, I’m already planning my return to the States after a long year away from loved ones at home. These plans include attending a Yellow Ribbon event with my fiancé, Rob. For those on active duty who have never attended such events or have never even heard about the program, the Yellow Ribbon event is a reintegration and welcome home program for Reservists and Guardsmen of all services.
Read More »Our Families Matter
Capitol Hill: Our Families Matter
By Will Britton
In a first-of-its-kind conference and Capitol Hill convergence, OutServe hosted an event in Washington, D.C.—its inaugural Capital Summit May 14 – 15. As OutServe’s second official gathering, the Capital Summit’s theme, “Our Families Matter,” boasted a healthy attendance of more than 100 LGBT active-duty service members, veterans, family members and allies.
In what could only be called a miraculous coincidence (or precision engagement), the timing of the summit coincided with President Obama voicing his personal support for same-sex marriage only five days beforehand.
The two-day event kicked off with a full day of panels, networking and breakout sessions. After a welcome speech by OutServe Leadership and introductions, the Summit hit the ground running with quite an insightful panel, “Marriage Equality in the Courts and Congress.” Representatives from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), The Courage Campaign, and Human Rights Campaign served as panelists for the eye-opening session.
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