Patrick Murphy was among those who signed a Supreme Court friend-of-the-court brief that will be heard next week. The brief was featured in The New York Times article, "In Brief to Justices, Former Military Officials Support Same-Sex Marriage." Full text can be found in the April 20, 2015, issue, but a synopsis is noted below.
Former military officials created a brief supporting same-sex marriage. The brief describes the current marriage laws as patchy and inconsistent.
If same-sex married couples are asked to move to a state in which same-sex marriage is illegal, their marriage is basically annulled. This means that they do not have the same rights as heterosexually married military members, including death benefits and disability compensation.
Despite being twice as likely to have to move to another state as nonmilitary members, those in the military are not allowed to refuse the move.
The brief also notes that because the laws vary state-by-state, they are negatively affecting military recruitment, retention and morale.
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