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Defence Force Benefits |
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Saturday, 13 August 2005 |
Issues of Inequality: DEFENCE FORCE BENEFITS
UPDATE: Defence announces in memo that service personnel interdependants will get military assistance benefits from 1 December 2005! Click here for ACE's press release.
The issue: Ensure all defence personnel are treated fairly
One of the most patriotic duties that an individual can perform is service in defence of their country or in the keeping of peace around the world. Many Australians choose to serve in the Australian Defence Force for this reason.
In recent years, gays and lesbians have been allowed to serve in Australia’s military, protecting our country from serious threats. Despite this service, they're not given the benefits that married and de facto heterosexual couples take for granted.
Often the burden on defence forces personnel and their families is great. This can involve numerous relocations to postings at various bases around Australia or extended time away from families on service duty.
Heterosexual service members are afforded many benefits to assist with such stressful family impacts while gay and lesbian service members are ignored.
Australia needs a strong, healthy defence force for the sake of national security. Gay and lesbian personnel are currently treated as second-class citizens – and that's unfair and un-Australian.
The current laws: Benefits for some, not others
The ban on gays and lesbians serving in the Australian Defence force was lifted in 1992. This has seen an influx of gay and lesbian service personnel in recent years.
Currently, the Australian Defence Force offer a number of ways to assist families to come to grips with the stress of having a family member in the ADF.
This assistance includes relocation benefits to assist with relocation due to a new base assignment, subsidised housing costs, counselling services for family members, benefits in the case of injury or death of a service member, and pension benefits for the surviving partner in the case of a death of an ADF personnel member.
How it's unequal: Gay and lesbian personnel ignored
Heterosexual couples and families currently are recognised for ADF-related benefits. However, the Federal Government and the Australian Defence Force has refused to extend this fair treatment to gay and lesbian couples.
Most entitlements given to the heterosexual partners of ADF personnel are denied to the partners of gay and lesbians in the armed services.
Same sex couples are discriminated against in housing allowances and partner relocation allowances. The partners of gay and lesbian personnel are often refused access passes to base.
If a gay or lesbian defence force member is killed or injured on active duty, their surviving partner in Australia receives no bereavement counselling, no death benefit payment and no service pension.
This causes a great deal of harm to gay and lesbian personnel, financially and emotionally. It often destroys relationships.
Continuing issues of anti-gay harassment and discrimination also persists in some parts of the force – causing gays and lesbians to leave. This, in turn, damages the morale of the entire force.
The price of inequality: They both serve their country, one is ignored
Michael and Jamie both serve in the same group within the Australian Navy, and both service members are being relocated from Perth to Sydney as part of their operational duties in the Australian Defence Force.
Michael is in a de facto relationship with Stephanie. They also have two children. The Federal Government and ADF recognise them as a couple and a family for defence force benefits.
For Michael's family, the Australian Defence Force will help to relocate them – paying for airfares, helping with the cost of moving their home and vehicles, and providing assistance in finding new housing near their new naval base. The ADF will even assist with the relocation of their pets.
In comparison, Jamie happens to be gay and has a partner, Andrew, for eight years. Andrew and Jamie also care for two children who are in Andrew's custody after a former relationship.
When it comes to Jamie's family, the Australian Defence Force will only help Jamie but ignores the rest of his family. In fact, the ADF treats Jamie's dog better than his partner and children – paying to relocate his pet.
This inequality to same-sex families and couples in the ADF costs service personnel thousands of dollars every time they are relocated.
Same-sex couples and families face similar burdens from the Australian Government leaving them out of survivor benefits and other financial payments.
Talking points: Speak out about unfair treatment of same-sex families
Gay and lesbian members of the ADF need equality in the armed forces to:
- support the stress that their partners and family members face
- be fairly treated when they are forced to relocate in their service to the ADF
- allow a surviving partner a pension, counselling and benefits on a service member's death
- be protected from invidious anti-gay discrimination in some parts of the force
What you can do: Ask the Federal Government to recognise same-sex couples
Same-sex families and couples face discrimination in many areas due to the lack of Federal recognition of their relationships and families.
There are a number of ways you can help undo this inequality for same-sex families and couples.
You can write letters to newspapers, ask to meet your local Federal MP, and tell friends and family about the issues.
Every individual can make a difference. For more information on what you can do to change Australia's laws to treat same-sex families and couples equally, visit our website at www.coalitionforequality.org.au
More information: About the Australian Coalition for Equality
The Australian Coalition for Equality aims to achieve equality for Australia’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and intersex citizens and families – through campaigning, lobbying, networking and public awareness.
Our website at www.coalitionforequality.asn.au contains more fact sheets on various topics involving unequal aspects of Federal law.
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Defence Force benefits