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
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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