President Obama extended some benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees Wednesday - a move gay-rights advocates said leaves them far short of equality with straight couples.
Long-term care insurance and more liberal family leave for Civil Service and foreign service employees will now cover same-sex couples. But big-ticket health insurance and pension benefits cannot be extended unless Congress goes along.
"We all have to acknowledge this is only one step," Obama said as he signed the edict in the Oval Office. "We'll work on these issues in months and years to come."
Anger has been building among gay-rights advocates about slow progress since Obama took office on issues important to the gay community. Several prominent gay fund-raisers are boycotting a June 25 Democratic National Committee event featuring Vice President Biden.
But others appreciated even small steps.
"It's certainly not everything that we would want, but it's a good start," said Stephen Gee, 46, a gay foreign service officer in a relationship for five years, who lives in the East Village. "I would love for my partner to have health insurance benefits."
Leonard Hirsch, the Queens-born president of Federal GLOBE, an organization advocating equal rights for gay federal employees, called the President's announcement a "very positive first step."
"Do I think they are going fast enough? No," he said. "But I believe they are working with a clear goal ... and trying to make certain when they move forward, they can be successful."
The announcement also drew criticism from the right.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said Obama is violating the spirit of a federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/06/17/2009-06-17_govt_workers_get_samesex_benefits_boost.html#ixzz0Il6pI8Ug&D