06/28/2012

Washington– The Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization – today commended Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) for introducing the Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act, important legislation that ensures same-sex spouses in the nation’s armed services receive critical benefits that the federal Defense of Marriage Act currently prohibits.

HRC President Chad Griffin released the following statement:

“The Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act represents an important step forward in the ongoing work to achieve full equality in our nation’s military. This legislation recognizes that all military families make extraordinary sacrifices and exhibit unparalleled bravery – yet not all of those families are treated with the same dignity and respect. To achieve that, we also must continue pushing for full repeal of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. We’ve seen so much progress since the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was implemented last fall – but we still have much work to do in achieving full equality for men and women who put their lives on the line every day for our country.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.