{"id":2302,"date":"2013-02-14T00:09:00","date_gmt":"2013-02-14T00:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/pentagon-criticized-for-offering-spousal-benefits-to-gay-couples\/"},"modified":"2013-02-14T00:09:00","modified_gmt":"2013-02-14T00:09:00","slug":"pentagon-criticized-for-offering-spousal-benefits-to-gay-couples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/02\/pentagon-criticized-for-offering-spousal-benefits-to-gay-couples\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon criticized for offering spousal benefits to gay couples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Washington D.C., Feb 13, 2013 \/ 05:09 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The Department of Defense has drawn criticism over new policies providing same-sex partners some of the benefits normally reserved to military spouses.<\/p>\n

\tThe new policies make \u201ca mockery of the Defense of Marriage Act that is still the law of this nation,\u201d said Chaplain Ron Crews, a retired Army Reserve Colonel and executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.<\/p>\n

\tSpeaking to CNA on Feb. 13, Crews decried these new policies, saying that they essentially ignore the intent of federal law by treating same-sex couples as spouses.<\/p>\n

\tCrews pointed to the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman for federal purposes. The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on a case challenging the law this summer.<\/p>\n

\tPresident Barack Obama has previously announced that he thinks the Defense of Marriage Act is discriminatory and ordered the Department of Justice to stop defending it in court.<\/p>\n

\tNow, Crews believes that the president\u2019s administration is violating the intent of the law by treating gay couples as if they were married couples.<\/p>\n

\tIn a document released on Feb. 11, the Pentagon announced that some spousal benefits will be extended to same-sex partners of active duty members of the armed services.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cAt the direction of the President,\u201d the document stated, \u201cthe Department [of Defense] has conducted a careful and deliberative review of the services currently provided to the families of Service members.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWe have now identified additional family member and dependent benefits that we can lawfully provide to same-sex domestic partners of Military Service and their children through changes in Department of Defense policies and regulations,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

\tThe expansion of benefits to same-sex partners follows a Congressional decision to repeal \u201cDon\u2019t Ask, Don\u2019t Tell,\u201d thereby allowing individuals who identify as openly gay to serve in the military.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThe new Pentagon document identifies a number of spousal services that will now be extended to same-sex partners of armed services members. These benefits include the provision of dependent ID cards, on-base shopping and recreation privileges, emergency leave, counseling programs, transportation services and compensation for a missing or captive partner.<\/p>\n

\tSpousal benefits that are regulated by the Defense of Marriage Act \u2013 such as health care and housing allowances \u2013 are still reserved to heterosexual spouses.<\/p>\n

\tHowever, the document explained that if that law is ruled unconstitutional, the Defense Department will \u201cconstrue the words 'spouse' and 'marriage' without regards to sexual orientation,\u201d expanding these benefits to same-sex couples as well.<\/p>\n

\tAlso excluded from the benefits that are being extended to gay couples are on-base housing and burial. Secretary of Defense Leon Penetta said that these benefits were not included because they \u201cpresent complex legal and policy challenges\u201d and may be banned by the Defense of Marriage Act.<\/p>\n

\tHe added that the Department of Defense would continue to investigate these benefits and determine \u201chow best to ensure that all Service members are treated equally regardless of sexual orientation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tCrews argued that in addition to defying the intent of the Defense of Marriage Act, the decision is unwise for a variety of reasons.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt is an outrage that the Department of Defense would provide benefits to an unknown number of persons,\u201d he said, \u201cat significant cost to the military, at a time when the military\u2019s budget is being reduced. It is even worse that this is being done without consulting Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C., Feb 13, 2013 \/ 05:09 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Department of Defense has drawn criticism over new policies providing same-sex partners some of the benefits normally reserved to military spouses.<\/p>\n

\tThe new policies make “a mockery …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nPentagon criticized for offering spousal benefits to gay couples<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Washington D.C., Feb 13, 2013 \/ 05:09 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Department of Defense has drawn criticism over new policies providing same-sex partners some of the benefits normally reserved to military spouses. 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