By Lisa Rein
Days after the Supreme Court ruled that the right to marry must be open to gays, theĀ Department of Veterans Affairs has moved immediately to extend marital benefits to same-sex couples who were denied them ā even in states where they were available to other federalĀ retirees.
The new policy lifts restrictions onĀ veteransā pensions, VA-backedĀ home loans, burial rights,Ā survivorĀ benefits and disability compensation for same-sex married couples in every state, a victory that advocates estimate could affect hundreds of thousands of veterans.
āWe are thrilled that they are acting so quickly,ā said Chris Rowsee, director of family readiness for the American Military Partners Association, which sued VA last year on behalf of veterans who were denied spousal benefits. The lawsuit was on hold pending the Supreme Court decision.
Other veterans groups praised the new policy as a historic shift in a community whose older 
members were resistant just four years ago to liftingĀ the militaryās long-standing ban on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender troops serving openly.
āRead the Full Article at www.washingtonpost.com >>>>ā
All content herein is owned by author exclusively.Ā Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VNR, authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, technicians, or VT Network.Ā Some content may be satirical in nature.Ā
All images within are full responsibility of the author and NOT VNR.
Read Full Policy Notice - Comment Policy
