Meanwhile, adults "can't get all of the medical care that they need," she said. "What we're finding is that for transgender youth, they're getting denied health care coverage for the medication that they need," said Monica Meyer, executive director of OutFront Minnesota. It was shelved.īut more inclusive employment non-discrimination laws - in more than 30 states, you can be fired for being transgender - serving in the military and access to health care are among the issues that still need work, activists say. Months later, a Minnesota lawmaker introduced a bill that would undo that policy. In December, the Minnesota State High School League approved its new transgender athletes policy. There have been some recent victories, nationally and locally, for transgender-rights activists. Justices heard challenges to four states' bans on same-sex marriage in April, and will rule on whether states have the power to ban same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on same-sex marriage later this month.
The department also recognizes marriages if they were legal where the couple lived when filing a VA claim or application, or when the veteran became eligible for benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes a veteran's marriage if it was legal where the veteran or spouse lived at the time they were married - not the location of their wedding.
Nationally, the ACLU has been working on anoter issue: veterans benefits. "Any time a couple in Minnesota moves to another state that doesn't recognize marriage equality, there could be some issues." "If they're living in Minnesota and working in North Dakota, there may be some questions if there's a health emergency. "It certainly is a challenge," said Teresa Nelson, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota. Legal protections for married couples don't extend across state lines. North Dakota is not one of them, which could lead to some complications for couples who live along the border.
Nationwide, 37 states plus Washington, D.C., allow same-sex marriage. It also extends other benefits afforded to married heterosexual couples - everything from pension benefits to immigration rights. The court's decision means that same-sex couples married in Minnesota may file joint federal tax returns. That means legally wed same-sex couples couples have the same rights, benefits and protections afforded by marriage as heterosexual couples under state and local laws, including filing joint state tax returns and making decisions regarding emergency medical care for one another.Īlso in 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a provision in the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Same-sex marriage became legal in Minnesota on Aug.
And a record number of Americans now support same-sex marriage.īut even as gay-rights activists acknowledge those victories, they say other challenges remain. Last month, Ireland became the first-ever country to approve same-sex marriage by referendum. The Minnesota State High School League approved a policy last year that allows transgender athletes to play on the sports teams that best align with their gender identity. Gay-rights activists have several things to celebrate this June during Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.