Military Assistance Needed

[bymagajones]

I'm hoping someone in the military can help me.  Now that DADT has been repealed, can people in the military list a partner as... well, their SO?  In my story, one of the characters is overseas when he learns that his partner is in a coma after a bad car accident.  Would he be notified, or would the family have to find a way to get the news to him

Comments

[justhuman]

Sadly, there are still issues there.

DADT allowed homosexuals to serve in the armed forces.

There's a federal law, DOMA - Defense of Marriage Act that forces the US federal government to only recognize marriages between a man and woman. Because of that, the US armed forces are prevented from acknowledging same sex marriage.

From the civilian side of things, a same sex couple can be legally married in a state like Mass. and receive all of the same marriage rights in that state that heterosexual couples. But on the flip side, they can't file a joint tax return for the federal government. They also can't claim spousal death benefits from Social Security.

So the US military can't officially recognize a same-sex spouse as a spouse, but I'm sure that people have to list people to contact. I'm not sure if the military rules state that they have to contact "family" or if it can be anyone.

[bymagajones]

Wow. That's really interesting. I guess I just assumed that once DADT was repealed (and, from a civilian side of things, once same sex couples were allowed to be legally married in specific states) that the rest of it would just fall into place. Of course there'd be more complications.

Thanks for the information. It's a good place for me to start, and it gives me more to think about with regards to my story.

[justhuman]

arghh - that last comment was me and I didn't realize that I wasn't logged in