WASHINGTON, DC – The American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation’s premier resource and support network for LGBT military families, released the following statement today in response to the announcement that Ashley Broadway, the same-sex spouse of a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who was recently denied full membership to the Association of Bragg Officers’ Spouses, has been named the 2013 Fort Bragg Military Spouse of the Year.
“Considering the amount of hard work, volunteer time, and invaluable assistance that she has dedicated to helping all military families over the years, in addition to the unwavering support she has provided to her wife on active duty and their children, no one deserves this recognition more than Ashley Broadway,” said AMPA president Stephen Peters. “However, this award further highlights the fact that same-sex military spouses are treated differently from their heterosexual counterparts. Ashley Broadway, the new Fort Bragg Military Spouse of the Year, is still denied military benefits, official recognition from the Defense Department, and even a full membership to the post’s main officers’ spouses club. We continue to anxiously wait for action from the White House and the Pentagon to correct this continuing injustice.”
The “Military Spouse of the Year” title is awarded at the base/post, branch, and national levels annually by Military Spouse Magazine, the premier publication for American military spouses worldwide. After being named “Military Spouse of the Year” on their respective military installations, awardees compete with other base and post award winners for their respective military branch titles, whose winners then compete for the coveted and prestigious national title of “Armed Forces Insurance “Military Spouse of the Year” for 2013.
For more information about the American Military Partner Association and LGBT military families, please visit our home on the web atwww.MilitaryPartners.org. For more information on Military Spouse Magazine, please visit www.MilitarySpouse.com.
The American Military Partner Association, a non-profit and non-partisan organization, is the nation’s premier resource and support network for LGBT military families. Founded and led by same-sex military partners in 2009 as the Campaign for Military Partners, AMPA is based in Washington DC and is committed to connecting, supporting, honoring, and serving the partners and spouses of America’s LGBT servicemembers and veterans, our nation’s “silent heroes.”