US Military Awards First Benefits To Same-Sex Army Widow

Tracy Johnson, widow of Army Staff Sgt. Donna Johnson, will be the first same-sex spouse to receive survivor benefits from the U.S. government.

Johnson said that her wife’s death certificate doesn’t show their marriage. The military has historically denied benefits to same-sex spouses, but that policy was cast into a legal gray area in 2013 after the Supreme Court struck down parts of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The Pentagon said same-sex spouses of members of the military would be offered a range of federal benefits beginning in September. The Defense Dept. said it “remains committed to ensuring that all men and women who serve in the U.S. military, and their families, are treated fairly and equally.”

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.