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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 9, 2012)
Science-based Learning Vancouver kids improve habitat fo r fish See Metro, page 10 St. Johns Parade Saturday festivities to mark 50 years o f memories See Metro, page 10 gportlanh Read back issues of the Portland Observer at www.portlandobserver.com City o/Roses’ ^§55^* Volume XXXXI, Number 18 Wi Wednesday • May 9. 2012 Established ¡n 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity m (,f ' community service Soldier Fights for Equality Service member faces new obstacles upon retirement by M indy C ooper T he P ortland O bserver Despite recent strides tow ards equ ality for same-sex couples, one local retired military ser vice member has discov ered there is still a long way to go for justice. Sue Leavy experi enced emotional ups and dow ns as a lesb ian woman with 33 years of service in the Oregon Army National Guard. L eavy rem em b ers what it was like both be fore and after ‘Don ’ t Ask Don’t Tell,’ the law that did not allow gay men and women to be their true selves while serv ing in the U.S. Armed Forces. The 1993 law was re pealed last September after more than 13,000 service m em bers had been discharged under terms of the Congres sional action. “For all those years I couldn’t be who I was because I was scared of the re p e rc u s s io n s ,” Leavy said. Now as a newly re tired m ilitary service member, she is finding there are other laws that still discriminate against her. Leavy met her wife M ichelle M artin six- years ago, and last year they made their vows to photo by M indy C ooper ZT he P ortland O bserver spend the rest of their Sue Leavy (left) with her wife Michelle Martin and a display case that commemorates Leavy’s 3 3 years o f service in lives with each other, the Oregon Army National Guard. The couple is in a domestic partnership recognized by the state o f Washington, but w hile surrounded by the military doesn 't recognize the relationship as it pertains to benefits for her spouse and child. family and friends in a church ceremony. Inside the couple’s Vancouver home where they are raising their e ig h t-y e a r-o ld son Evan, images from their wedding rest on the wall, behind a newly framed d isp la y case o f an American flag, which was previously hung at the W hite H ouse in Washington D.C. and given to Leavy at the end of her service. By law, the couple is in a domestic partner ship officially recog nized by the state of Washington. Both con sider themselves to be married. “I know I will be with her the rest of my life,” said Martin. “I feel mar ried regardless of who recognizes it or not. Government, or not.” The military, how ever, does not recognize their union in quite the same way. “If the government wants to give us all of the rights a marriage has to offer and call it a do mestic partnership, I am alright with that,” said L eavy. “ B ut they don’t.” Currently, efforts are underway in Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOM A), which bars federal rec ognition o f sam e-sex marriages. The Justice Department decided it will no longer defend continued on page 5