The world has lost a fighter for justice. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charlie Morgan of the New Hampshire National Guard, and a lesbian mom, passed away this morning, Outserve-SLDN informs us. She had been fighting stage 4 breast cancer. Morgan was also a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Outserve-SLDN notes:
Morgan came out on MSNBC on the September 20, 2011, the day of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal, and became a nationally recognized advocate against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars her wife, Karen, from receiving military, Social Security and other benefits to help her care for their five-year-old daughter Casey Elena. The Morgans are plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought by SLDN in October 2011 challenging DOMA and other federal statutes that prevent the military from providing equal recognition and support to same-sex military spouses. Currently, the Morgans do not receive the same protections as their straight, married peers, and Karen is not entitled to survivor’s benefits following CW2 Morgan’s death.
CW2 Morgan also drew national support in February 2012 when she visited Capitol Hill to meet with the staff of Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) to tell her personal story and share how the Speaker’s ongoing legal defense of DOMA via the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) harms her family.
My condolences to her wife Karen, daughter Casey Elena, and all her family and friends. Let us continue the fight for equality in her memory.
Outserve-SLDN asks that you leave “condolences, memories, and messages of support” for Morgan’s family here.
Below is a video of Charlie and Karen that they made for Freedom to Marry in 2012.
