Liberals Chide Fallin For Guard Same-Sex Ruling

Randy Krehbiel
Tulsa World

It took awhile, but Gov. Mary Fallin’s decision to change the way the Oklahoma National Guard processes spousal benefits is attracting attention.

And not in a good way.

On Thursday night, faux newscaster Stephen Colbert became the latest to chide Fallin for her Nov. 6 decision to stop processing all spousal benefit applications at state-owned National Guard facilities rather than allow same-sex applications to be processed.

“Governor Fallin is setting a great precedent,” Colbert said during his satirical newscast. “Rather than provide services for gay people, they should stop providing them for everyone. Because once a gay person gets something, it gets their gay all over it.”

Fallin’s decision followed an order from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel directing all states to comply with new Defense Department policy regarding spousal benefits.

Fallin said processing same-sex spousal benefit applications would violate the state Constitution. Processing was moved to four federally owned guard facilities in the state, as well as Oklahoma’s five regular military installations.

Several national outlets have picked up the story in the past week, including Slate, Think Progress and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show. Some have said or implied that Fallin is denying benefits to all Oklahoma National Guard spouses, which is not the case.

A statement posted Wednesday to Fallin’s Facebook page says “To set the record straight — no National Guardsman in Oklahoma is being denied marriage benefits for any reason. Stories that suggest otherwise are false.”

On Friday, the governor’s spokesman, Alex Weintz, said in an email that “it’s important to note that the governor’s priority is to obey the law, as outlined by our constitution and voted on by the people of Oklahoma.”

The dead-pan Colbert said Oklahoma’s efforts to remain “Oklahetera” are preventing the state from “becoming a Mecca for gays.”


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