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
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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