Although a Pentagon official wouldn’t confirm any change in policy, at least one Air Force base has begun recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples married in New Mexico — even before the state’s supreme court reaches a final decision on the matter.
BuzzFeed spoke with the same-sex spouse of a service member stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who said the couple married in New Mexico and that she obtained a spousal ID card at the base on Tuesday.
Asked for confirmation of the change in policy, Pentagon spokesman Nathan Christensen responded, “The Department will make the same benefits available to all military spouses, regardless of sexual orientation, as long as service member-sponsors provide a valid marriage certificate from a jurisdiction that recognizes same-sex marriage. I would refer you to the state of New Mexico who can discuss the specifics of their state law.”
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