Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry

I want to take a break from my reflections on my personal military spousehood for today and highlight something far more important: those who are denied the right to be full partners to their military spouses due to their gender. From my very limited experience, I've seen what a challenge it is merely to be a male spouse of a female soldier. Anything that doesn't fit the "army wife" mold takes extra work, and when I think of the barriers same-sex partners face to being a welcome, active part of the military community I worry about what "freedom" it is we fight for.

The campaign Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry offers this heart-wrenching look at what can STILL happen to same-gendered partners of military members:

I don't know a single military spouse who finds it easy to cope with the challenges of having a partner in the military, and that is from those who do have access to the benefits of being a recognized military family member. Although the Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) policy that required secrecy of gay service members, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) still bars same-gendered military families from the sliver of access that make being a spouse workable.

Without health care, the access military IDs bring, support from morale and welfare programs, surviving spouse benefits and other benefits denied by DOMA, these spouses suffer unfairly even after we've taken the huge step forward of removing DADT. Regardless of anyone's personal beliefs around what constitutes marriage, I can't think of a single reason that legally married couples should be able to fight and die for their country but not have the right to be treated as family. For decades the military has created structures to support spouses and children precisely because they know how crucial family input is to whether a soldier, sailor or airman continues their work in the military or moves on. Then why ostracize the partners of good service members due to their gender?

The Servicemember Legal Defense Network has more information here: http://www.sldn.org/ if you'd like to help.

Vocab of the day: 
Military: FSC = Family Support Center

BUB

Last post September, eh? Yes, it's been a bit. New since:

Most recently-
Military holiday parties with all sorts of Desperate-Housewives-worthy drama, a hint above a scuntch above a tad over the possibility of going to war with North Korea over them shelling the living crap out of a civilian island "disagreeing with the military exercises happening," getting in the groove of teaching business English (which coincides with the end of posting... hm), sister and her hubs have gone back to US, general adjustment to Korea with a few minor freakouts (notably yesterday... after trying to Christmas-fy our abode with some technical difficulties).

Other things-
Got a cat, named her Dumpster Kitty or DK for short. Have started P90X OF DEATH exercise program as a competition with the hubs, brilliant of me. Started Korean/hangeul classes with vigor and have tapered off in attendance, going to being again in January all American-style resolutiouny. Considering going back to the US for work, and trying some sort of remote-in-between thing (and actually sending out feelers for jobs). Moving to Seoul in February if all goes as planned. Have consequentially stopped trying to decorate current home, with the exception of the overrun of Christmas joy.

Other things new year resolutiony- posting more often and more pithy/funny/not simply updatey.

Vocab of the day: 
Korean: update = 갱신  (gaeng sin) 
Military: BUB= Battle Update Briefing (I know this one is legit! I've heard it used)