Social Security defines policy for same-sex married couples

Social Security has published new instructions that allow the agency to process more claims in which entitlement or eligibility is affected by a same-sex relationship. These instructions come in response to last year’s Supreme Court decision in U.S. vs. Windsor, which found Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. This latest policy development lets…

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Attorney General Holder issues report outlining Obama administration’s work to extend federal benefits to same-sex married couples

WASHINGTON—Following the Supreme Court’s historic decision striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday issued a formal report on the yearlong effort by the Justice Department and other federal agencies to implement the decision smoothly across the entire government. “I am pleased to report that agencies across the federal…

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VA provides guidance to same-sex married couples seeking benefits

WASHINGTON — After close consultation with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing guidance to same-sex married couples on the benefits and services to which they are entitled under current laws and regulations. “VA worked closely with DOJ to develop guidance to process cases involving same-sex marriages and to…

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Italian couple, one of who is transgender, remains married after court ruling

The media continues to lavish both praise and criticism on Italy’s treatment of the LGBT community after it reported in TheDailyBeast.com that Italy’s High Court has allowed a couple to remain married even though one of them has successfully completed his transition to a woman.  “For 20 years, [Alessandro] Bernaroli struggled openly with gender dysphoria,…

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Survey finds younger UK gay men more likely to get married than older counterparts

LONDON — Jack’d, the fastest growing gay app in the world among young adult gay men, today released the findings of a community survey conducted amongst its users in the United Kingdom. With same-sex marriage to be legalized  March 29 in England and Wales, Jack’d surveyed its community–80 percent of which are 18-30 years old–on their…

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