Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

Unions Risky for Military Personnel

As more and more state and local governments recognize same-sex unions, military personnel still need to be very cautious about making their relationships legal in the eyes of the law. As the Associated Press recently reported, there are significant risks for service personnel who choose to register their civil union or, in the case of Massachusetts, wed their partner. "Marriage or attempted marriage" to a person of the same gender is one of the three things (along with statements and acts) that can lead to dismissal under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." SLDN has documented that some commands have attempted to use this provision to discharge service members who have had civil unions, commitment ceremonies, registered as domestic partners or have been seen purchasing rings with their partners. "Michael," of Vancouver, is retired from the Navy and told AP that he is holding off on a domestic partnership with his partner of 10 years, who is currently in the Navy Reserves. "It's just one of those things," he said. "It probably comes from the way you get accustomed to living in the military. It just doesn't come up." It is an unfortunate but real concern for military couples. Civil union registries and marriage licenses are public documents, available to the Department of Defense. Registering your partnership, if the Pentagon becomes aware of it, could ultimately mean the end of a military career. Service personnel with questions about civil unions, domestic partnership or marriage should contact SLDN at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information. - Steve Ralls

Labels: civil unions, in the news, legal aid

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08-13-07