This is a good way to gracefully bow out. As one of his final acts as secretary of defense, Leon Panetta is expected to establish more equal benefits gay and lesbian military couples and their families.
"According to Outserve-SLDN, Panetta will make the announcement this week, before officially leaving office. The organization has been lobbying the Pentagon and federal government to extend benefits as simple as housing and military ID access to same-sex partners of military personnel since "don't ask, don't tell" was repealed officially in 2011.
The Washington Post reports that Pentagon officials are trying to determine which benefits can be extended to same-sex couples without violating the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing the rights of gay and lesbian couples. An estimated 100 benefits may be extended to partners, spouses and families. Currently, same-sex partners and spouses are granted minimal rights."
Read the rest here.
Comments