70-Year-Old Lesbian Navy Vet Denied Right to Burial with Wife at Idaho Cemetery

[William769]

U.S. Navy veterant Madelynn Taylor, 74, served six years and earned the right for her and her spouse of 17 years, Jean Mixner, to be buried in Idaho’s Veteran Cemetery. But the Division of Veterans Services is denying access for her now-deceased wife’s ashes to be laid to rest in their plot, CBS News reported.

"It's not taking up any more space to have both of us in there, and I don't see where the ashes of a couple of old lesbians is going to hurt anybody," Taylor told KBOI, Idaho’s CBS affiliate.

Federal law allows same-sex couples to be buried in all US National cemeteries, but because the Veterans Cemetery in Boise is a state run cemetery, the powers that be have to follow the Idaho Constitution, which currently does not recognize same-sex unions.

"I'm not surprised," she said. "I've been discriminated against for 70 years, and they might as well discriminate against me in death as well as life."

http://www.shewired.com/outrageous/2014/04/24/lesbian-navy-vet-madelynn-taylor-denied-right-burial-wife-idaho-veteran

Fucking Outrageous!

[oldandhappy]

1. Ahhh, Idaho

So full of love you are.

[sheshe2]

2. Years of discrimination...

"I'm not surprised," she said. "I've been discriminated against for 70 years, and they might as well discriminate against me in death as well as life."

So heartbreaking. No words William, no words.

[William769]

3. Agreed.

I get sick to my stomach when I read shit like this.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

4. Fucking disgusting. Time to pull any federal funding the cemetery receives.

[spanone]

5. sad, sad, sad. ....when will we ever learn.

[Cha]

6. Sorry to hear this, William. :(

[William769]

7. Me too.

[Ruby the Liberal]

8. On what grounds?

But the Division of Veterans Services is denying access for her now-deceased wife’s ashes to be laid to rest in their plot, CBS News reported

If the plot was legally sold to both of them, how can they deny the first burial? I can see the bigots denying the second burial - but how can they legally deny the first?

She needs a lawyer, like yesterday.

[William769]

9. You are talking bout the people that still think the world is flat right?

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. Why she needs a lawyer, ASAP

This is BS, Bill.

[William769]

11. I agree.

I think a company of LGBT soldiers would work also. Just saying.

[AverageJoe90]

12. As a progressive & and a civic libertarian, this is fucking heartbreaking, TBH.

It's just damned tragic that the outright bigotry of a select few and the apathy of many others still causes so many damned problems for LGBT folks in 2014.

[William769]

14. ...

[MineralMan]

13. Someday this crap won't happen any more.

Until then, protest the stupidity and cruelty.

[William769]

15. Agreed.