Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Friday, June 5, 2015

GOP: "Support Our Veterans -- Except the Gay Married Ones!"




For a party that fetishizes the military and its heroes, this is disgusting news, but not unexpected.  They support our veterans, as long as they're not gay. Another reason the modern GOP is losing support by young people.  This is a disgrace.




Senate Rejects Extending Veterans Benefits To Married Gay Couples And Their Kids



WASHINGTON -- The Senate quietly rejected legislation Thursday that would have extended certain veterans' benefits to married same-sex couples and their children who live in states where their marriage isn't recognized. 

 During debate on the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) proposed amending the federal statute that prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs from granting comprehensive benefits to same-sex couples in states that don't recognize a same-sex marriage that was legally performed in a different state. Her amendment failed 53-42, seven votes shy of the 60 votes needed to pass. 

None of the Senate Republicans running for president voted for it. Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) opposed it, while Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) did not vote. 

Shaheen called it "tremendously disappointing" that the Senate would deny benefits to people who put their lives on the line for their country. "Veterans served their country bravely, and yet some are deprived of the very rights they risked their lives to protect," she said in an email. "The impact of this discrimination is real. Monthly benefits are less; spouses and children are not eligible for medical care at the VA; and families are not eligible for the same death benefits."



The GOP priorities?   Support the Duggars; Bash the Gay Married Veterans and their families!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This isn't surprising at all. The GOP cowards are terrified of pissing off their homophobic base, even if that means making LGBT veterans second class citizens. The hypocrites in the GOP base didn't mind these veterans putting their lives on the line and they show their appreciation by making their lives more difficult. Who would want to belong to a club that does this to our veterans?

Doctor Tomato said...

"Who would want to belong to a club that does this to our veterans?"


Who? The kind of people who hate marriage equality more than they love the men and women who fought for their precious freedom to keep gays and lesbians 2nd class citizens. That's the current TeaPublican party.

Les Carpenter said...

Standard fare for the GOP. it is ironic that the party of limited government (a concept I support in principle) has no problem with being judgmental as well as intrusive when it comes to individuals and their private lives.

The influences of the evangelical right and other religionists are evident in the party and it has caused the GOP to remain the small tent party that it. It's too bad but it is what it is.

Infidel753 said...

Rank-and-file Republicans have made it clear how they feel about gay soldiers. The politicians know who they have to pander to.

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

The GOP is a big party made up of sects of bigots and deniers. Fortunately for them the gun nuts and pro life no matter what and bigots don't care what the other policies are as long as the republican politician tells them the shit they want to hear. People like Shaw and me, you know, people that think and have consciences, won't vote for pandering to kook people like Ted Cruz. The Cruzes don't care what we think because of that. I look for the kooky statements to continue to get worse till one of the nuts openly says the "N" word and claims to be proud he said it. Then again, the next republican will probably carry it even further.

Anonymous Reader of TeaPublican Blogs said...

Some TeaPublicans don't understand how denying benefits to gay veterans who are married affects their children.

The person asks: "This affects a veteran's child how?"

This is what that TeaPublican and all the rest of the fake "Support Our Veterans" phonies refuse to understand, because THEY CAN'T. They are psychologically and intellectually unable to see how their hatred of marriage equality actually translates into legislation that hurts veterans and their children. The fact is that the Republican Party hates gay marriage more than they love the gay veterans and their families. That party REALLY REALLY REALLY is that sick.

Here's what will actually happen to gay married veterans as a result of what the TeaPublican Party voted on:

"Veterans served their country bravely, and yet some are deprived of the very rights they risked their lives to protect," she said in an email. "The impact of this discrimination is real. Monthly benefits are less; spouses and children are not eligible for medical care at the VA; and families are not eligible for the same death benefits."

The TeaPublican Party owns this disgraceful, unAmerican piece of legislative hatred.

Congratulations on your bigotry against American veterans.

Leo T. Lyon said...

from Infidel's link:

"a handful of very loud boos erupted in the debate hall. Otherwise there was silence — not one cheer for an active-duty soldier asking the candidates if they’d let him continue serving his country without lying. No other voter-submitted question all night elicited such a harsh response."


I remember the creepy TPers booing the gay American soldier in Iraq who fought for their right to be hateful assholes on national tv. Good going Goopers. You'll never win a vote from anyone under 40 years old.