There is much that has been written today regarding Obama and his inaction on GLBT issues. Today's focus is about the benefits that Obama will "bestow" upon the same-sex partners of federal employees. Well, it turns out this wonderful gift for which we're supposed to be so grateful is even less that we thought. Federal agencies have been providing these benefits to same-sex partners of employees for years.
John Aravosis, who has been doggedly pursing this story, talked with OPM Director John Berry on a White House media conference call this morning where he acknowledged this fact. So what exactly is Obama doing this evening?
He's "telling" the agencies to give the benefits -- benefits that they've been providing for years.
As a reader on AmericaBlog notes:
Regarding your latest post of the WH Fact Sheet -- here are some important facts that your readers may care to know.
The para (below) regarding "new" benefits available to domestic partners -- these benefits have been available for YEARS !!!!
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.
Nothing new here.
- See the OPM website which permits long term care to be extended "Qualified Relatives" that includes:
QUALIFIED RELATIVE- The term ‘qualified relative’ means each of the following:
The spouse of an individual described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4).
A parent, stepparent, or parent-in-law of an individual described in paragraph (1) or (3).
A child (including an adopted child, a stepchild, or, to the extent the Office of Personnel Management by regulation provides, a foster child) of an individual described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4), if such child is at least 18 years of age.
An individual having such other relationship to an individual described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) as the Office may by regulation prescribe.
- During the Clinton administration -- guidance was requested about whether sick leave could be used to take care of same-sex partners and/children. The answer came back that a federal employee could use their sick leave to take care of, attend doctor appointments, or even attend funerals for anyone who had the "close approximation of family". This was a guidance memo -- not policy -- but it has been available since the mid 1990's. The reason I know this is that I have worked for a DOD Agency for 23 years and even DOD allowed me to take sick leave to care for my partner and my non-bio child.
What a bunch of nothing.
So what started out as a tepid attempt to calm the angry fires raging in the GLBT community turns out to be even less.