Marriage equality is currently an issue for military couples with trans spouses, highlighting a Department of Defense (DoD) cultural competence issue. If a spouse changes his or her gender after being married and entered into the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) as a particular gender, then one is that gender until one goes through…
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Business Alliance board of directors has announced its support for legalizing same-sex marriage in Oregon, and said it would support a business community-led effort on behalf of marriage equity. The Alliance board voted to support amending the Oregon Constitution to end the current prohibition against same-sex marriage, while still clearly…
Today the same-sex spouses of military service members become eligible to receive a range of federal benefits, thanks to a Department of Defense policy change that was announced last month implementing the U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Starting today, spousal and family benefits will…
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania General Counsel James D. Schultz issued the following statement today surrounding the same-sex marriage case as reported earlier on LGBTweekly.com. “We are deeply disturbed and disappointed by recent coverage of the same-sex marriage case which misrepresents the commonwealth’s position in this matter. “This case is a clear matter of law: Does a public official…
In what was seen as a widely expected move, Philly.com is reporting that the Pennsylvania Department of Health has issued an injunction against the Montgomery County Register of Wills, D. Bruce Hanes. Hanes, who to date has issued 154 same-sex marriage licenses, began issuing them in late July. “”I decided to come down on the…
Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a memo clarifying that all beneficiaries in private Medicare plans have access to equal coverage when it comes to care in a nursing home where their spouse lives. This is the first guidance issued by HHS in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling, which…
WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a ruling that will ensure all legally-married same-sex couples, regardless of where they live, will be recognized for federal tax purposes. Recently the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which…
Same-sex couples in Doña Ana County, NM began receiving marriage licenses this morning after the county clerk announced he was issuing them based on a legal opinion endorsed earlier this year by the City of Santa Fe and a recent filing by the attorney general stating that New Mexico’s laws demanded that the state issue…
Riding a wave of Russian homophobia, neighboring Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country by land area, plans to introduce legislation in September that would shutter gay clubs, bar protests from the LGBT community and prevent what officials are calling the propagandization of alternative lifestyles. Member of the Majilis (the lower chamber of the parliament) Aldan…
The first same-sex marriages have taken place in New Zealand following the successful passage of equal marriage legislation. According to the BBC, 31 couples were marrying today and about 1,000 same-sex couples in Australia planned to travel to the neighboring country to marry. Among the first couples tying the knot were Auckland couple Tash Vitali…
