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"People across the state are mourning the loss of Charlie Morgan, New Hampshire's Army National Guard chief warrant officer.Morgan died Sunday after a long battle with breast cancer.Gay and lesbian service members said Morgan provided a voice for them and their spouses by asking for the same benefits straight military couples received.Morgan also recently led the Pledge of Allegiance during Gov. Maggie Hassan's inauguration.\"She was devoted to her family and her country and she stood up for what she believed in, which is an important part of who we are as a state and country,\u201D said Hassan.Zeke Stokes with OutServe-SLDN said the association has been working to achieve equal rights for gay and lesbian military families. He said Morgan helped push their progress forward.\"She really gave a face to the fight for full LGBT military equality and what it really means for a family like hers to be left behind by discriminatory laws,\" he said.In part due to the Defense of Marriage Act, Morgan's wife, Karen, will not receive the same survivor benefits a straight spouse would receive.\"That's a tragic thing for her and for our country because it doesn't represent the best we have to give to the families who support our service members,\" Stokes said.Stokes said Morgan's legacy will live on in the fight for equal rights.\"Charlie's fight for equality will outlive her fight with cancer,\" he said. \"Charlie Morgan was a courageous fighter for our country. She was a courageous fighter for her family.\"\"Gay and lesbian service members are providing the same service. They're taking the same risks. They are making the sacrifices,\" he said. \"They should not be treated as second-class citizens by the country they serve.\"Sen. Jeanne Shaheen released a statement in Morgan's honor:\u201CCharlie Morgan epitomized courage - in her military service, her fight for LGBT equality, and her battle with cancer. She showed us how to live and to die with dignity.\"Morgan leaves behind her wife and young daughter."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wmur.com/article/gay-rights-advocate-charlie-morgan-dies-after-breast-cancer-battle-1/5179483>