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Shaheen: Same-sex benefits bill should apply to Veterans Affairs
CONCORD, N.H. — U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire says she’s planning to move forward with her bill that would grant benefits to same-sex married couples in the military after learning that legislation is still necessary to grant veterans in same-sex marriages those same benefits.
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Federal judge: Veterans Affairs can’t deny benefits to same-sex couples
LOS ANGELES — A judge in Los Angeles ruled Thursday that a lesbian Army veteran and her spouse should be entitled to disability benefits given the recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act.
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Veterans Affairs says it will wait on expanding benefits to same-sex couples
WASHINGTON – Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki says Congress or the courts still has more work to do before the VA can provide federal benefits to married, same-sex couples.
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Conn. vet leading legal effort for spousal benefits of gay veterans
HARTFORD, Conn. — An 18-year Navy veteran from Norwich is joining forces with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to try to persuade the federal Department of Veterans Affairs to abide by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling concerning gay marriage and extend all federal benefits to veterans with same-sex spouses.
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Senate committee advances military spouses, veterans benefits bills
WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on Wednesday approved a package of bills to improve benefits and health care services for veterans and their families, including the Charlie Morgan Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act.
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Veterans Affairs grants burial rights for Oregon veteran’s same-sex spouse
The Department of Veterans Affairs has decided to allow the same-sex spouse of a member of the military to be buried in a U.S. national cemetery. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki used his discretionary authority to allow the burial of Nancy Lynchild’s ashes, the agency said Thursday.
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SPLC asks court to block House GOP attempt to delay disabled veteran’s case
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on Monday asked a federal court to block efforts by U.S. House Republicans to further delay a decorated 12-year U.S. Army veteran in a legal same-sex marriage from seeking the same benefits provided to other married veterans and their spouses.
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Brief challenges laws discriminating against gay and lesbian veterans
WASHINGTON — A law firm that is part of the challenge against California’s Proposition 8 this week filed a “friend of the court” brief on behalf of a coalition of national veterans’ service organizations asking the court to strike down laws discriminating against gay and lesbian veterans.
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Lawsuit challenges DOMA, Veterans Affairs over denial of benefits to married same-sex couples
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) refusal to grant equal disability benefits to an Army veteran in a same-sex marriage is a violation of the veteran’s constitutional rights, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the law firm of WilmerHale.
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Homophobic nurse to retire after harassment of lesbian Marine veteran
DALLAS — A spokesperson for the Dallas Veterans Affairs Center has confirmed that nurse practitioner Lincy Pandithurai would “retire from federal service” effective Jan. 21 after being accused of anti-gay harassment.