Texas National Guard Agrees To Grant Benefits To Gay Military Spouses
Source: AP/via TPM
ASSOCIATED PRESS NOVEMBER 27, 2013, 7:29 AM EST
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The Texas National Guard will immediately begin letting same-sex couples register for benefits after the Defense Department approved a new procedure for enrolling National Guard members and their dependents for benefits.
"We're going to go back to business as usual. It will be full service," Lt. Col. Joanne MacGregor, a Texas Guard spokeswoman, told the San Antonio Express-News, referring to the decision that came late Tuesday.
The Texas National Guard commander had ordered the Texas Military Forces, the umbrella command of all Texas National Guard units, not to process any applications from same-sex couples. Maj. Gen. John Nichols had said the Guard was a state agency bound by Texas law, which doesn't recognize same-sex marriage.
That had placed five National Guard facilities in Texas off-limits for same-sex couples seeking benefits until late Tuesday.
Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/texas-national-guard-agrees-to-grant-benefits-to-gay-military-spouses
RKP5637
(67,030 posts)Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)RKP5637
(67,030 posts)wonder if these officials realize how stupid and ignorant all of this is/looks in the big picture.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)....and revoke all benefits.
Nika
(546 posts)with the Texas National Guard. It is good to hear they fixed this problem.
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)CurtEastPoint
(18,549 posts)Or did I misread this?
See Americablog: http://americablog.com/2013/11/texas-longer-process-benefits-straight-troops-fu-gays.html
Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)Your linked blog article, if accurate, makes matters worse.
Now all Texas National Guard personnel will have to travel to a federal military facility to request and have processed their applications for benefits. This is the scorched earth policy used by the South at the beginning of the civil rights era - shut down schools, swimming pools, etc. even for whites in order to not have to integrate public facilities.
According to your linked post now both heterosexual and homosexual couples will have to get to a federal facility to apply for benefits. This is not caving at all. This is engaging in the kind of childish and brutish behavior of the segregationists. While Texas has evolved significantly since the civil rights era is so many ways it appears at least when it comes to state government the knuckles are still dragging on the ground.
RKP5637
(67,030 posts)comprehending what equality means, we are a nation that boasts equality to the rest of the world and then dictates inequality to various groups of people for absolutely no credible reason than bigotry and persecution.
Javaman
(62,439 posts)the dept of defence said to them, either you adopt the new rules and regs or your lives will become miserable and no one will ever get a promotion.
Gothmog
(143,999 posts)Vietnameravet
(1,085 posts)Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)If Texas does not want to comply with LEGAL orders from the federal government, then ALL federal funding STOPS immediately, and the Texas units must return ALL materials on loan from the federal government within 30 days.
END.OF.STORY!
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)Texas National Guard to limit benefits to 5 bases to avoid recognizing gay marriages
Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/107813639
p.s. So, it still SUCKS!
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)Remember this name. IIRC the state national guard commander serves at the pleasure of the governor (could be wrong here). When Wendy Davis gets elected I'm going to write a letter asking her to fire his ass as the first order of business.