September 26, 2013
Gay Military Couple Talk About Importance of Benefits in New Vid
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
The U.S. Department of Defense released a new video on Wednesday explaining how the recent extension of military and spousal benefits impacts same-sex military couples.
In the YouTube clip, Senior Chief Dwayne Beebe-Franqui and his partner Jonathan Beebe-Franqui discuss how the military benefits have improved their lives and how important the benefits (like having the ability to apply for a military ID card) are to several other same-sex military couples. It also marks the changing perception of the military's view on the LGBT community, especially after the 2011 repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act," which prohibited military members from serve openly.
"This is a huge step forward, because if you look at history every advancement in human rights for people started in the military... really what it boils down to is that we're taking care of families, and the service member can go protect this country and do what they need to do," the couple says in the clip.
Watch the video below: