Perhaps he is seeking to improve what's left of his image or perhaps he no longer cares what the far right Christofascist elements of the Virginia GOP base think, but whatever the reason, Governor Bob McDonnell is not going to try to deny spousal benefits to gays in the Virginia National Guard. Not surprisingly, gay-hater extraordinaire, Del. Bob Marshall is livid. One can only wish the man would get a life and stop obsessing about what goes on in other people's bedrooms. I can only wonder what deep psychological problems - or secret sexual insecurities - plague Mr. Marshall. It is individuals like Marshall who harm Virginia's image and make the state less economically competitive. The Virginian Pilot looks at McDonnell's decision to flip Marshall "the bird" on this issue. Here are highlights:
Legally married same-sex partners of Virginia National Guard members will be eligible for the same federal benefits as opposite-sex married couples, despite the objection of at least one lawmaker.
The Guard is complying with Defense Department policy on extending benefits to qualified spouses of gay service members, a move that has Gov. Bob McDonnell’s blessing.
And that’s left Del. Bob Marshall fuming.
The conservative Republican from Prince William County this week challenged McDonnell to deny those benefits to Guard members’ same-sex partners on the basis of Virginia’s gay-marriage ban. He urged the governor to follow the examples of states such as Texas, where the Guard commander decided that federal guidelines conflict with state law.
Through a spokesman, McDonnell responded: “The Virginia National Guard will adhere to all Department of Defense policies and guidelines.”
By law, McDonnell is commander-in-chief of the Guard.
Marshall expressed dismay about the governor’s position in an email exchange Thursday, but said he was still gathering his thoughts.
Providing benefits to gay military members’ spouses is an outgrowth of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a piece of the Defense of Marriage Act that barred same-sex couples from getting benefits.
The court’s decision paves the way for qualified gay couples to enjoy the same federal health, tax and other benefits that their heterosexual counterparts have.
Another marriage benefit Marshall wants Virginia to stand against is an Internal Revenue Service policy to allow some same-sex couples to file returns like other married taxpayers. In his letter to the governor, he asked “that Virginia not assist the IRS in any way in extending tax benefits to those same sex couples who have chosen to go to another state to ‘marry.’ ”
But like his Guard request, that one doesn’t appear to have McDonnell’s support.
“State tax officials will continue to work in partnership with their federal counterparts,” a spokesman for the governor said Thursday.
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