[Gay] Obama makes a gesture

[garbon]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090617/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_gay_benefits

President Barack Obama, whose gay and lesbian supporters have grown frustrated with his slow movement on their priorities, is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees but stopping short of a guarantee of full health insurance, a White House official said.

Obama planned to announce his decision Wednesday in the Oval Office, the official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because Obama had not signed a presidential memorandum putting his plan into place.

The decision is a political nod to a reliably Democratic voting bloc that has become impatient with the White House in recent weeks.

Several powerful gay fundraisers withdrew their support from a Democratic National Committee event June 25 where Vice President Joe Biden is expected to speak. Their exit came in response to a Justice Department brief last week that defended the Defense of Marriage Act, a prime target for gay and lesbian criticism.

Gays and lesbians also fretted as the White House declined to intervene in the cases of enlisted military members facing courts-martial for defying the Clinton-era "don't ask, don't tell" policies. Gays and lesbians can serve in the military now if they do not disclose their sexuality or engage in homosexual behavior.

White House officials say they want Congress to repeal the policy as part of a "lasting and durable" solution, instead of intervening on individual cases.

"The president agreed that ... the policy wasn't working for our national interests, that he committed to change that policy, that he's working with the secretary of defense and the joint chiefs on making that happen," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said last month.

The administration has tried to make small, quiet moves to extend benefits to gays and lesbians. The State Department has promised to give partners of gay and lesbian diplomats many benefits, such as diplomatic passports and language training.

But Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's promises left out financial benefits such as pensions. Obama's move could make that shift.

Richard Socarides, a New York lawyer and former senior adviser on gay rights issues to President Bill Clinton, was taking a wait-and-see attitude on Obama's announcement.

"If it doesn't include health insurance, if he doesn't talk about the military and about the (Justice Department) brief, I think it will fall short," Socarides said in an e-mail late Tuesday. "Right now, people are looking for real action."

John Berry, head of the Office of Personnel Management and the highest-ranking gay official in the administration, told a gay rally last weekend that Obama planned to take action on benefits soon.

So benefits for partners of federal employees but no insurance.

[derspiess]

Does this cancel out the obscene gesture he gave you guys last week? 

[garbon]

Does this cancel out the obscene gesture he gave you guys last week? 

See what Socarides says in the article. I'll bold it for you.

[Martinus]

Here's a website detailing Obama's plan for gay rights:

http://www.obamasplanforgayrights.com/

[derspiess]

See what Socarides says in the article. I'll bold it for you.

Got it.  I didn't know this guy spoke for you & every other gay person 

[garbon]

Got it.  I didn't know this guy spoke for you & every other gay person 

I don't think I speak for every gay person either. My view just happens to coincide with his.

[Faeelin]

Does this cancel out the obscene gesture he gave you guys last week? 

Short answer, it's making people even angrier because it's not an executive order, and doesn't include social security benefits or healthcare benefits.

Sicnce it follows up on an Obama spokesman saying there are no votes for ENDA or DADT in Congress, and Harry Reid saying there were no plans to introduce a bill to repeal DADT in the Senate (saying it should be done by Obama, whereas Obama says Congress needs to do it), and since this is something that should've been done from day one.... weeh.

The Dems were having a fundraiser for stonewall's 40th anniversary next week, and basically everybody who's not part of the Democratic Party is pulling out. This also comes on the heels of nwes that a Hate Crimes Bill, which isn't a priority for gays, is stalled in the Senate, so...

[Martinus]

Yeah, from what I read, this is seen as crumbs, and thus more offensive.

[derspiess]

I don't think I speak for every gay person either. My view just happens to coincide with his.

Great, but you could have said that rather than just pointing me back to the article.

[derspiess]

The Dems were having a fundraiser for stonewall's 40th anniversary next week, and basically everybody who's not part of the Democratic Party is pulling out. This also comes on the heels of nwes that a Hate Crimes Bill, which isn't a priority for gays, is stalled in the Senate, so...

It is or isn't a priority? 

[Faeelin]

The Dems were having a fundraiser for stonewall's 40th anniversary next week, and basically everybody who's not part of the Democratic Party is pulling out. This also comes on the heels of nwes that a Hate Crimes Bill, which isn't a priority for gays, is stalled in the Senate, so...

It is or isn't a priority? 

Is not. Most gays care far more bout things like DADT, getting their marriages recognized by the federal government, and employment nondiscrimination.

Incidentally, the Obama administration just announced what these benefits entail.

For civil service employees, domestic partners of federal employees can be added to the long-term care insurance program; supervisors can also be required to allow employees to use their sick leave to take care of domestic partners and non-biological, non-adopted children. For foreign service employees, a number of benefits were identified, including the use of medical facilities at posts abroad, medical evacuation from posts abroad, and inclusion in family size for housing allocations.

I think this will provoke even more outrage, actually.

[Neil]

I think this will provoke even more outrage, actually.

Their tears will be sweet.

[alfred russel]

It is disappointing. All I can think of is that the Democrats would rather have the issue than deliver on their promises.