STILL?

Gay Couples Denied Veterans Benefits

Due to provisions in Title 38.

The Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act months ago, but the ruling didn’t remove every roadblock that same-sex couples face. Gay married couples are still being denied veterans benefits, writes Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki in a letter to Congress dated August 14. Shinseki says certain provisions in Title 38, U.S. Code, define “spouse” as a person of the opposite sex. “Under these provisions, a same-sex marriage recognized by a State would not confer spousal status for purposes of eligibility of VA benefits,” he writes. Unlike DOMA, a court has yet to deem the Title 38 definitions to be unconstitutional.