Texas National Guard to limit benefits to 5 bases to avoid recognizing gay marriages

[TexasTowelie]

Taking a page out of Oklahoma’s book, the Texas National Guard plans to require all spouses — gay and straight — to travel to one of five federally owned facilities to sign up for benefits, according to an LGBT military families group.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the military to treat all legally married couples equally in August, pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act. However, the Texas National Guard has refused to provide ID cards or process housing allowances for gay spouses at its facilities, saying they must instead travel to federal bases to apply for benefits.

Texas officials have taken the position that processing the benefits applications from gay spouses would violate the state’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

On Tuesday, the Texas National Guard announced the Defense Department has approved a new procedure to resolve the conflict.

More at http://www.lonestarq.com/lgbt-families-group-slams-texas-national-guards-new-benefits-enrollment-policy/ .

[MADem]

1. Oh for Christ's Sweet sake, why do people think so stupidly and linearly?

On a NUMBER of levels, too.

The TNG are being a bunch of bigoted, shit-heelish, ignor-anuses, they are refusing to process the paperwork for ID cards/housing allowances. This is what the gay NG community is having to deal with--a long drive to a distant facility to obtain services--that is just not right.

How to resolve it? HERE's how:

You grab a container truck, you modify/outfit it with office equipment to turn it into a rolling personnel/housing support facility--desks, computers, cellphones, internet uplink capablility, an ID card machine, and you staff that truck with a couple of disbursing/payroll clerks, housing specialists and personnel/admin types. Instead of making people drive hither and yon to get their paperwork accomplished, the truck drives to their ANG bases and sets up in front of their commissary (which gets fed money), and provides service to all of the people that the TNG won't touch.

Put a military officer senior to the base commander in charge of the evolution, too--nothing like pulling rank. That officer will make sure that the base commander makes the people who can't be served by his support personnel available to the folks in the truck for the purposes of completing their benefits paperwork.

Fuck 'em. All it takes is a little advance notice, a little bit of creativity, and they can take care of everyone in no time. They need to compile a list of where/who's being denied service, and make the rounds.

They had to do this kind of "on the fly" support in lots of places; Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan in the early days...it's not impossible at all. In fact, it's been done often enough in remote locations that it's pretty much SOP.

Should they have to do this sort of thing? Hell no. Will LGBT people get screwed over and endure hardship getting their benefits if they don't do something like this? Hell yes.

Another option would be to run a bus from TNG facility to the bases that provide services; but I kinda like the container truck office idea; simply because it puts the issue right smack dab in the faces of the bigots. DOD is here to support the community, even while the state turns their back.

[Chipper Chat]

2. Obama should just federalize the Texas National Guard

"to protect marriage"

[TexasTowelie]

3. I'll mark you down as a supporter

of the revised DOMA.

[MADem]

4. I think that the Federal funding that keeps the TNG's lights on, toilet paper in the rolls,

and facilities running should be squeezed.

You don't wanna play by federal rules? Pay for that shit yourselves, cowboys!

[Chipper Chat]

5. Old Sears catalogs are available on eBay.

And air conditioning in Texas base restrooms should be cut off in summer to save money. Hey House Republicans - here's your chance to curtail spending! Write and get that bill to Boner post waste, er, I mean haste!

[MADem]

6. +1,000 !!!! nt