From our Tipwire:
According to the AP, President Barack Obama plans to extend health care and other benefits to the gay and lesbian partners of federal employees. White House officials say Obama plans to announce decision on Wednesday in the Oval Office. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the president had not yet made the announcement.
The move would give partners of federal employees access to health care and financial benefits such as relocation fees for moves. Officials say Obama would detail more details of the decision on Wednesday.
After his Administration disgustingly insulted gays and lesbians everywhere in their brief on DOMA, this is the absolute least he can do. This is one of my strongest areas of disagreement with the Obama Administration: their apparent homophobia (there is a long history during the campaign of Obama courting anti-gay supporters to asking anti-gay Rick Warren to speak at the Inauguration to refusing to repeal DADT to the DOMA brief) and/or their apparent cowardice in avoiding extending basic civil rights to homosexuals.
This a good step at repairing the relations between the Administration and the gay and lesbian community, but it is only a step. He will have to come through on repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell soon.