SLDN leading fights for military benefits; celebrities lift voices
Gay troops in same-sex unions are taking the U.S. government to task over benefits. The Servicemembers’ Legal Defense Network (SLDN) led the charge toward “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy’s repeal. SLDN plans to file a federal lawsuit late this month, according to Huffington Post.
It will challenge the constitutionality of denying same-sex couples military benefits that straight soldiers and their spouses enjoy. SLDN will argue the Defense of Marriage Act violates the Fifth Amendment—denying the right to due process. It’s a groundbreaking move.
“That has never been done before,” SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis said.
Declining identify the defendants, Sarvis said current servicemembers, married where gay marriage is legal and recognized, are bringing the lawsuit.
“We’re looking at all the legal remedies available,” Sarvis said.
SLDN, according to Sarvis, also seeks to reform Title 10 of the U.S. Code. It governs the armed forces and defines marriage as being between a man and woman.
Sarvis announced SLDN’s plans during the OutServe Armed Forces Leadership in Las Vegas this weekend.
CELEBRITY BUZZ
More celebrities have added their voices to a collective gay chorus. Britain’s best-known Christian, singer Cliff Richard, 71, publicly supports marriage equality.
“I don’t see why gay people shouldn’t be married. I have got friends, same-sex couples, who have been together for decades. So for them, it’s marriage,” Richard said on BBC Radio 4.
“Star Trek” star Zachary Quinto (above) came out in a New York Magazine profile, crediting the late Jamey Rodemyer, driven to suicide, with his decision to reveal his sexuality.
