Lesbian Voted as Fort Bragg's Military Spouse of the Year, to Compete for National Recognition

[struggle4progress]

Jan 25, 2013
Drew Brooks

This year's winner of a competition to name Fort Bragg's military spouse of the year isn't like past winners.

That's because Ashley Broadway isn't recognized as a spouse under federal law.

Broadway, the wife of Lt. Col. Heather Mack of Fort Bragg's 1st Theater Sustainment Command, was selected to represent Fort Bragg in the 2013 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year competition.

Broadway will be pitted against winners from other Army installations next month. The award, presented by Military Spouse magazine, will be presented later this year ...

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2013/1/25/lesbian_voted_as_fort_braggs_military.htm



Lesbian barred from military spouses group up for Army Spouse of the Year
Ashley Broadway was denied membership to The Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses in Fort Bragg, N.C., because she is in a lesbian relationship. But now she is will represent the base in ‘Military Spouse’ magazine’s overall Army Spouse of the Year honors.
By Michael Walsh / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, January 25, 2013, 8:18 PM

... Ashley Broadway, the Army wife whose sexual orientation barred her from joining a military spouses group at Fort Bragg, N.C., was proclaimed the 2013 Spouse of the Year for that very base.

The public overwhelming cast their votes for Broadway in an online vote Tuesday. Now, as a representative for Fort Bragg, she is eligible for “Military Spouse” magazine's overall Army Spouse of the Year.

"Considering the amount of hard work, volunteer time and invaluable assistance she's given to help all military families over the years, nobody deserves this recognition more than Ashley Broadway," Stephen Peters, executive director for The American Military Partner Association, told the Daily News.

"However this award further highlights the fact that same-sex military spouses are treated differently from their heterosexual counterparts," Peters continued. "Ashley Broadway as the new Fort Bragg military spouse is still denied military benefits and official recognition from the defense department." ...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lesbian-army-spouse-year-article-1.1248307


Wife of female Army officer can join spouses club
January 26, 2013 05:35 GMT

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) -- A woman who is married to a female Army officer at Fort Bragg and was recently denied membership in its officers' spouses club says she has now been invited to become a full member.

Ashley Broadway told the Associated Press that she received the invitation from the club's board in an email Friday.

Last month, Fort Bragg received national attention when Broadway, who is married to Lt. Col. Heather Mack, was denied club membership because she does not have a spouse identification badge issued by the military ...

Military Spouse magazine just honored Broadway as Fort Bragg's 2013 "Military Spouse of the Year." Broadway says Mack gave birth to the couple's second child, a baby girl, earlier this week.

http://www.kfdm.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/38e91fd3-www.kfdm.com.shtml