Former Military Officials in Favor of Same-Sex Marriages

On April 28, the Supreme Court is scheduled to the hear the case in which a group of same-sex couples are asking the court to declare that all states must recognize same-sex marriages in states as legal.

Currently, same-sex military couples can face difficulties if they decide to move to a state where their marriage is not legally recognized. They can face problems on their rights to have legal custody of their children, their ability to make medical decision for their partners and legal rights of survivorship if a spouse dies.

Now, some former military officials have been backing same-sex marriages. They have signed the friend-of-the-court brief as per which, "The strains imposed on married gay and lesbian service members by such state laws can impair military readiness, morale, effectiveness, and the military's ability to recruit and retain talented personnel".

Signers of the brief includes retired Navy Vice Adm. Joseph Sestak; former Secretary of Army Joe Reeder; former Pentagon personnel officials Rudy DeLeon and Larry Korb and Patrick Murphy, an Iraq veteran and former Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania.

Since 2013, the Pentagon has recognized same-sex marriages irrespective of the fact where service members are stationed. Same-sex couples who want to get married but do not live in states where same-sex marriage is legal can be granted leave for travel to a state where it is legal.

A separate brief from advocates for gay and lesbian service members have been sent to the Supreme Court. The brief has argued that the current laws may pose a recruiting and retention problem for the military.

But former Michigan Solicitor General John Bursch is among those who would argue that the state ban should remain in place.