Frontlines Feed: The Latest from SLDN

The President Said It

We've known it all along.  

And yesterday, President Obama let America know it.  Service members are moving the needle on marriage equality.  Here's what he said:

"When I think about members of my own staff who are incredibly committed, in monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together. When I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet, feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask, Don't Tell is gone, because they're not able to commit themselves in a marriage...it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that-- I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

Last October, SLDN filed landmark litigation on behalf of married gay and lesbian service members and veterans challenging the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) and seeking equal recognition, support, and benefits for all military families - regardless of sexual orientation.  Benefits like housing, access to military bases, health care, and survivors' benefits.

And we told America the story of Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan of the New Hampshire National Guard.  Just home from deployment to the Middle East. Battling incurable breast cancer.  Wife and mother of a five-year old daughter.  Sadly, if CW2 Morgan does not triumph in her battle over cancer, her wife Karen will not receive the same benefits and support she would receive if she were not of the same gender.  

We must keep telling this story, and the stories of all service members and veterans across this great nation providing the same service, taking the same risks, making the same sacrifices - yet, relegated to second-class status because they are gay or lesbian.  And we need your help to do it. 

Service members are getting through. They got through to President Obama.  They are getting through to the American people, a majority of whom support marriage equality for the first time in our nation's history.  Now, we must help them get through to Congress. 

05-10-12 By Aubrey Sarvis, Army Veteran & SLDN Executive Director | Comment (0)

SLDN Week In Review: April 30-May 4, 2012

Boehner Moves to Intervene in SLDN Legal Challenge. Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) today fired back Tuesday at Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) and his Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) for their request to intervene in McLaughlin v. U.S., the landmark federal court case filed in October 2011 by eight married gay and lesbian service members and veterans, who are represented by SLDN and Chadbourne & Parke. The case challenges the constitutionality of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and three other federal statutes - Titles 10, 32, and 38 - that preclude the military from providing equal recognition, support, and benefits for all military families. The Department of Justice announced its intention related to the case in a letter sent to Boehner on February 17, 2012, triggering the BLAG to make known its position. To read more, click here.

Pelosi Criticizes Boehner Action in SLDN Case. Meanwhile, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) slammed Boehner's decision to intervene in SLDN's case challenging federal anti-gay marriage laws, charging his decision is discriminatory against gay and lesbian members of the military. To read more, click here.

SLDN on the Road. SLDN Military Advisory Council Co-Chair Paula Neira and Communications Director Zeke Stokes will travel to Philadelphia this weekend to participate in the annual Equality Forum. Neira will be featured on a panel focused on LGBT military equality. For more information, click here.

Coming Up Next Week. The House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to begin its annual mark-up of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday, May 9. SLDN will be on the front lines as debate begins and will keep you up-to-date as expected hostile amendments emerge from opponents of LGBT military equality.

05-04-12 By Zeke Stokes, SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

SLDN Week in Review: April 23-27, 2012

SLDN Calls on Panetta to Expedite DADT Discharge Upgrades. This week, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) praised U.S.Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Joe Lieberman (I-CT),and Mark Udall (D-CO) for their letter sent to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and joined their call for the Secretary to use his authority to streamline the process for those discharged under the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) law in order to expedite discharge paperwork changes and upgrades. To view the news release and letter, click here. This news was covered widely by media, including The Hill and The Advocate.

SLDN Included in Amicus Brief in Case of LGBT Veteran. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in their case, Cardona v. Shinseki, arguing that laws denying gay and lesbian veterans the spousal benefits they have earned, and which Congress has determined are necessary to support their families, “serve only to discriminate against gay and lesbian veterans” and “must be struck down as unconstitutional.” The brief was filed on behalf of SLDN, Vietnam Veterans of America, Service Women’s Action Network, Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, Vets4Vets, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. To read more, click here.

OutServe Capital Summit Coming in May. SLDN is proud to partner with OutServe for its first-ever Capital Summit, which will bring service members and their families to Washington, DC, May 14-15, 2012, to learn more and discuss issues affecting LGBT military families. The Summit begins Monday with a day of panels and meetings followed by visits to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, organized in close cooperation with SLDN. To learn more or register for the Summit, click here.

04-27-12 By Zeke Stokes, SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

SLDN Week in Review: April 16-20, 2012

New York Times Covers Historic Loverde Reinstatement. This week, SLDN announced a resolution on behalf of Air Force Staff Sergeant Anthony Loverde in the Almy v. U.S. case, making him the second service member to be reinstated to his previous rank and position on active duty following "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal. He will take the oath in May and report to duty at Little Rock AFB in Arkansas in June. Following a week of wide coverage in both mainstream and LGBT media, the New York Times profiled the Loverde reinstatement on Friday in its national print edition. To read the New York Times coverage, click here. For SLDN's news release about the reinstatement, click here.  

DOMA Taxes Military Families Unfairly. SLDN's lead plaintiff in the case McLaughlin v. U.S., which challenges the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and three other federal statutes that prevent equal benefits and support for all military families, published an op-ed piece this week highlighting the difficulties that tax day brings for married gay and lesbian service members and their families. To read the op-ed, click here.

SLDN and OutServe Partner on New Weekly Podcast. SLDN and OutServe have partnered to bring you a weekly podcast, a ten-minute look at timely news and information related to LGBT military service. The podcast is hosted by MC1(SW) Jeremy Johnson, a U.S. Navy reservist and member of SLDN's Military Advisory Council. To listen to the most recent podcast and subscribe to future editions, click here.

04-20-12 By Zeke Stokes, SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

DOMA Taxes Military Families

For seven years, I have run a tax center for the National Guard.  This year we will produce more than 1800 federal and state returns for service members and veterans in our community. I am very proud of this work, and I love working with the clients who walk through the door.  But to be honest, every time a same-sex married couple walks in, I cringe.

Filing taxes is a dreadful enough prospect for most Americans, but for Americans who happen to be in a same-sex marriage, it’s a nightmare. While most married couples gather their receipts, W2s, mortgage interest documents, and medical and daycare expenses, same-sex married couples have to hunker down for the added prospect of producing multiple returns and "dummy" returns.

Let me explain.

I am in a same-sex marriage. My wife Casey and I live in Massachusetts, and under state law, we are required to file either "married filing jointly" (most common and usually most advantageous) or "married filing separately" for our state taxes. Those are our only options. For the purposes of federal taxes, however, because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), my wife and I are legal strangers.

So what does this mean as April 17, 2012 rolls around? My wife and I have to go through the following process:

First, we put together and file two separate federal tax returns, each filing as single people. Then, because the state requires us to file as a married couple and all state returns are derived from the federal return, we must create a “dummy” federal return in order to draw the numbers to create our state return. So, instead of one federal return and one state return like our straight counterparts, our family produces three federal returns and one state return.

Now I know all of this sounds like a lot of busy work, and some may look at it like it is only an irritation.  Unfortunately, though, there are real, bottom-line financial impacts for our family and the families like ours that come to my tax center as a result of being forced by DOMA to file these separate returns. For example, if we were allowed to file jointly, since my wife stays at home with our two children, we would be able to include her as a dependent on our family’s federal income tax return. But because I am forced to file with a "single" status known as “Head of Household," we lose thousands in deductions and exemptions. In our case, that equals well over a thousand dollars in our refund.

Then, as an extra special gift from DOMA, since my wife cannot be on my health insurance, we paid nearly $700 a month for a separate health insurance plan for her. Yet, we cannot even deduct that expense from our taxes.

So as we wrestle with our shoebox of receipts and the ticker tape from the calculator that streams down the side of the desk, Casey and I are reminded once again why this fight for equality matters. It's time to honor all love and commitment - and all American families - on Tax Day and every day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MAJ Shannon McLaughlin is a United States Army Major in the Massachusetts National Guard and serves as a Judge Advocate General (JAG). Her current military assignment is Chief of Legal Assistance for the Massachusetts Army National Guard. She has served for 13 years and is married in the State of Massachusetts to Casey McLaughlin. They are the proud parents of sixteen-month old twins, Grace and Grant. They are lead plaintiffs in SLDN's landmark litigation challenging DOMA and other federal statutes on behalf of service members and veterans.  

For more information on how LGBT families are subjected to unequal taxation and undue burdens at tax time, click here.  

04-16-12 By By Major Shannon McLaughlin; Boston, MA | Comment (0)

SLDN Week in Review: April 9-13, 2012

SLDN Seeks to Expedite McLaughlin v. U.S. This week, SLDN filed a new motion in its case challenging the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and three other federal statutes that prevent equal recognition and benefits for gay and lesbian service members, veterans, and their families. The motion sought to establish a deadline for intervention by Speaker John Boehner's Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) but was denied by the court on Thursday. Said SLDN Legal Director David McKean: "While we were hoping to expedite BLAG's decision to intervene or not, we nonetheless expect that the Speaker's attorneys will seek to intervene shortly and the case will move forward once the stay is lifted on April 28." For more on this, click here.

It's Time to Honor All Military Families. This week, SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis published a new piece on Huffington Post, praising the White House for its inclusion of LGBT service members, veterans, and their families in its outreach efforts since the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." However, Sarvis points out that until laws like DOMA are repealed, there can be no equality for all military families. Read his post here.

Joining Forces...and Moving Forward. Meanwhile, SLDN Government Affairs Director Jeremy Wilson-Simerman attended the one-year anniversary celebration of Joining Forces, the initiative founded by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to honor military families. Click here to read about his trip to the White House Wednesday and his conversations with the First Lady and Dr. Biden regarding SLDN's work on behalf of LGBT military families.

SLDN Announces 2012 LGBT Pride Schedule. On Thursday, SLDN released its schedule of LGBT Pride Festival appearances across the country in 2012. Click here to see the schedule and volunteer to help in your community.

04-13-12 By Zeke Stokes, SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

SLDN Announces 2012 Pride Schedule

One mission.  Full equality.

Starting this weekend, SLDN will be taking that message to LGBT Pride events all across the nation as our work continues to achieve full LGBT equality in our military. Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) was a monumental achievement, but it did not level the playing field for LGBT service members and veterans. Whether it's fighting for equal benefits and recognition for all military families, providing free legal services to LGBT service members and veterans, or supporting transgender military service, SLDN will remain on the frontlines until the job is finished. 

This weekend, we’ll kick things off in Miami, and we hope you can join us.  If not, there are opportunities to participate in our Pride activities through October.  Check out the full list below, and sign-up to volunteer at an event near you! Just a few hours will make a huge difference for our men and women in uniform.

Miami, FL — 4/15/2012
Honolulu, HI — 6/2/2012
Boston, MA — 6/9/2012
Washington, DC — 6/10/2012
Columbus, OH — 6/16/2012
Denver, CO — 6/16-17/2012
Portland, OR — 6/16-17/2012
New Orleans, LA — 6/24/2012
New York City, NY — 6/24/2012
San Diego, CA — 7/21-22/2012
Las Vegas, NV — 9/8/2012
Austin, TX — 9/22/2012
Orlando, FL — 10/6/2012
Atlanta, GA — 10/13-14/2012

Don't see your city on the list?  Want to help organize an SLDN presence there?  Contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Happy Pride! 

04-12-12 By Danny Hernandez, SLDN Pride Coordinator | Comment (0)

Joining Forces…and Moving Forward

On Wednesday, I attended the one-year anniversary event for Joining Forces at the White House. Joining Forces is a national service venture started by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, dedicated to shining a light on the sacrifices made by military and veteran families and creating an avenue by which a grateful country can honor those families.

The audience of service members, government officials, business and nonprofit leaders sipped from hot coffee and cider during the cold, outdoor presentation. The Air Force band Sidewinder delivered the heat and got the audience members clapping and tapping their feet with a set of three or four songs, belting out a great rendition of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." After the band played, Dr. Biden and the First Lady listed the accomplishments of Joining Forces' first year, among them helping train future physicians on the symptoms of PTSD, helping to secure jobs for veterans and military spouses, and increasing education opportunities for military children forced to move from state to state, as well as returning veterans who wish to further their education.

At the conclusion of the event, a receiving line was set up and I was able to speak with both Dr. Biden and the First Lady. I expressed SLDN's gratitude for the administration's help in repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and let them know that SLDN looked forward to continuing to work with the White House and Joining Forces to help all service members and their families - including LGBT military families. Both Dr. Biden and the First Lady lit up with huge smiles and communicated to me just how happy they were that DADT was dead. They also expressed a sincere desire to continue to work with us as we fight for full equality for every military family.

As Joining Forces moves into its second year, SLDN will work closely with the administration to ensure that LGBT service members and their families are represented and that the White House understands the special circumstances and sacrifices that come with being the spouse or child of an LGBT service member.  It's great to know that Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden will be fighting alongside us.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter @wilsonsimerman

04-12-12 By Jeremy Wilson-Simerman, SLDN Government Affairs Director | Comment (0)

SLDN Week in Review: April 2-6, 2012

SLDN Highlights Work on Behalf of LGBT Veterans. SLDN is working continually to reach LGBT veterans who were discharged for sexual orientation - during DADT or before - to ensure they are aware of our free legal services aimed at helping change or upgrade their discharge paperwork. This can be important for reasons of dignity, benefits, and future employment. On Friday, The Advocate published an op-ed by SLDN Legal Director David McKean aimed at reaching this audience. To read the op-ed, click here.

Action in DOMA Cases. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court heard oral arguments in the cases of Gill v. Office of Personnel Management and Massachusetts v. United States. For a full analysis by reporter Chris Geidner of Metro Weekly, who was in Boston to attend the proceedings, click here.

SLDN Clients Speak at Historic Norwich University Pride Event. Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan of the New Hampshire National Guard and her wife, Karen, keynoted the first-ever LGBT prom at Norwich University last weekend. Karen writes about their appearance and their ongoing fight for equality in a new blog post. To read it, click here.

Knights Out Makes History. SLDN's Aubrey Sarvis and David Hall attended the inaugural Knights Out Dinner at West Point last weekend. Sarvis writes about the historic event in a new blog post. To read it, click here.

SLDN Joins National Call to Action on Trayvon Martin Case. This week, SLDN joined a coalition of national LGBT organizations seeking justice in the Trayvon Martin Case. To read the letter, click here. On Thursday, Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart praised SLDN and other LGBT organizations for this letter. To read his column, click here.

04-06-12 By Zeke Stokes, SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)