Tracey Cooper-Harris, a US Army veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is suing the federal government claiming she was denied full benefits because she is married to a woman.
The Associated Press reports:
A gay Army veteran and her wife sued the federal government on Wednesday after they were denied military benefits granted to straight spouses.
The lawsuit announced in Washington involves a 12-year veteran of the Army, Tracey Cooper-Harris. After leaving the Army she married Maggie Cooper-Harris in California in 2008. Two years later, Tracey Cooper-Harris was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she has received disability benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a result. But her application for additional money and benefits that married veterans are entitled to was denied.
The couple’s lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in Los Angeles, argues that a federal law and military policy that resulted in the denial of benefits are discriminatory and unconstitutional.
If the couple were straight they would receive about $125 more a month in disability payments as a result of Tracey Cooper-Harris’ illness, which has no cure. In addition, Maggie Cooper-Harris would be eligible for approximately $1,200 a month in benefits as a surviving spouse after her wife’s death. The pair would also be eligible to be buried together in a veterans’ cemetery.
“We’re only asking for the same benefits as other married couples. We simply want the same peace of mind that these benefits bring to the families of other disabled veterans,” said Tracey Cooper-Harris at a press conference in Washington on Wednesday.
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