Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it is closing a gap in survivor benefits for certain survivors of LGBTQ+ Veterans - specifically, for those who were unable to wed until the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, and who, therefore, were not married to their now-deceased Veteran spouses for long enough to qualify for survivor benefits.
It’s a celebration of more than one million lesbian, gay, and bisexual Veterans in the United States. It’s a celebration of the thousands of VA employees who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. It’s a celebration of a country and VA that have come a long way toward equity and equality. And it is so very important.
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