Army National Guard Maj. Shannon McLaughlin, her wife Casey, and other service members will file a suit in Boston today that challenges the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, reports The Washington Post. The suit also includes "five other troops and two career Army and Navy veterans," and their lawyer tells The Post that it is intended to address federal code that doesn't let gay spouses access basic benefits like "military identification cards, access to bases, recreational programs, spousal support groups and burial rights at national cemeteries." The lawyer for the troops, Aubrey Sarvis, put it simply to the newspaper: "What Shannon and Casey are seeking is the same treatment that their straight counterparts, who are legally married, receive every day without question and take for granted." 

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Erik Hayden