The Association of Bragg Officers’ Spouses has finally offered Ashley Broadway, wife of a lesbian Army officer, full membership to its club. The group initially rejected membership for Broadway, then months later offered "guest" membership, which Broadway refused.
On its website, the ABOS posted a letter inviting Broadway to apply for full membership:
After further reviewing the constitution, by-laws and internal procedures, the ABOS Board felt that in order to immediately support all military Officer spouses who are eligible for ABOS membership a more inclusive definition of spouse was needed. Therefore, any Spouse of an active duty commissioned or warrant Officer with a valid marriage certificate from any state or district in the United States is eligible for ABOS membership.
Broadway told NBC News she plans to re-apply immediately:
"I will go ahead and submit my application. I need to educate some of the naysayers that are in that group and show them my family is just like their family."
As previously reported by Home Post, Broadway attempted to join the Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses in December after her wife, Army Lt. Col. Heather Mack, was transferred to Fort Bragg.
The club denied Broadway membership because she didn't have a military spouse ID card. (Broadway is unable to get such a card because the military, as part of the federal government, doesn't yet recognize same-sex marriages.)
Interesting side note: just a few days before ABOS offered Broadway full membership, she was voted Military Spouse of the Year for Fort Bragg, as part of Military Spouse magazine's Military Spouse of the Year 2013 contest.
