LGBT Parenting Roundup
This week’s roundup includes two family profiles, including one of the first lesbian in the U.K. to use assisted insemination, a couple of twisty legal issues, a lovely school story, and more.
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In Memoriam: Charlie Morgan — Officer, Mom, DOMA Plaintiff, Cancer Fighter
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).
Lesbian Mom Fights to Join Officers’ Spouse Club
Ashley Broadway has been with her spouse, an Army lieutenant colonel, for 15 years. They have a son (and will soon have an infant daughter) and have been together through numerous moves and deployments. When the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy was repealed, they became legally wed. Broadway has also assisted other military families through a variety of volunteer activities, including helping deployed soldiers find temporary homes for their pets. Yet when the family moved to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the Officers’ Spouse Club (OSC) told Broadway that she did not qualify to be a member.
One Year Since DADT Repeal; Lesbian and Gay Parent Servicemembers Tell Their Stories
Today marks one year since the repeal of the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy forbidding lesbians and gay men from serving openly. That was, without a doubt, one of the biggest steps towards LGBT equality in our history—but LGBT servicemembers still do not have equal rights. LGBT parents in the military are among those continuing to tell their stories and inspire change.
Military Same-Sex Parents Write About Ongoing Inequalities
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” may be gone, but the inequalities linger for married and partnered servicemembers, including those with children. Several of these families are telling their stories through letters they have written to Congress, as part of a new campaign from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and OutServe.
Pentagon Officials Speak of Progress, Gaps for Gay Servicemembers with Kids
Two senior Defense Department officials spoke at the Department’s first-ever Pride month event. One noted the positive impact of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal on the children of gay servicemembers—but the other observed that there are still obstacles to full equality for them.
Weekly Political Roundup
First, a happy Veterans Day to all of you, including my spouse, who have served or are serving in our country’s armed forces. The observance this year is, of course, the first one at which gay and lesbian servicemembers can celebrate openly with their families. Over at the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Col. E. A.
Lesbian Moms Among Plaintiffs in Servicemembers’ Lawsuit Against DOMA
This morning, eight current and former members of the U.S. armed services filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and “seeking equal recognition, benefits and family support for equal sacrifice and service in the U.S. Armed Forces.” Three of the plaintiffs are lesbian moms, including lead plaintiff, Major Shannon L.
The Impact of DADT Repeal on Servicemembers’ Children
The military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) ban on openly lesbian and gay servicemembers is now gone. In a piece for Keen News Service, I took a look at how repeal of DADT will impact the children of these servicemembers. I’m not the only one to explore this issue, however. Stars and Stripes magazine, a Department of
Weekly Political Roundup
The military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy is no more—but the Department of Justice argued in court this week that servicemembers who had been dismissed under the policy should receive only half of normal severance pay, as per the regulations that existed at the time of their dismissal. The audience at the Republican presidential debate