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Obama To Extend Some Benefits To Federal Same-Sex Partners
Filed under: Gay Gay Gay > Politik > Barack Obama
Today, Wednesday, President Obama will sign a presidential memorandum extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, but will not, however, sign over full health insurance coverage. To do so would require a legislative process.
In an Oval Office announcement, Obama will detail which benefits same-sex partners will receive. The announcement comes as the President faces unrest from the gay and lesbian community, which has become wary of Obama's seemingly empty promises to "fight hard" for equality. Recently, several gay donors withdrew sponsorship from a Democratic National Committee fund-raising event where Vice President Biden is scheduled to speak.
GOOD!!!!
Obama has demonstrated reluctance to dive into more divisive gay issues, such as overturning the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, extending benefits of government employees, or repealing the hateful Defense of Marriage Act.
While we think Obama's latest move is a step in the right direction, it's a bit disappointing that we've had to light a fire under his ass to get the gears in motion!
[Image via WENN.]
Sorry Mario………you get fuck all!!!!!!!!
A good start, but he needs to do muh more, including the removal of DADT from the military.
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tiny.cc/TICKG
Promises need to be kept by Obama. However, there are more pressing matters that need to be dealt with. Once things are a little more normal over the next year or two, then IMO, Obama should tackle GLBT equality legislation.
Perez why do you characterize gay issues as divisive? they are not. As far as Obama goes, this is merely damage control and it is too little a little too late.
i think obama tries to please everyone. he is so diplomatic . he does not want to ruffle any feathers. you can tell just by the calculated way he thinks as he talks. he wants to make sure he is very calculated and assured in his actions. i think this is good, but in the same sense it causes inaction at times in terms of controversial issues such as this.
Perez….You said ""Obama has demonstrated reluctance to dive into more divisive gay issues, such as overturning the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy,"
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Polls say that around 3/4 of the U.S. supports that policy being removed. How is that a divicive issue if most of the country is for it?
I believe that the whole gay rights thing has come a long way in the last few years. More and more states are accepting same sex marriages!!! This president has taken on a full plate and although I find your case important there are far more important things to take care if in the mean time. Could you imagine the "Republican Pounce" if Obama would take up same sex marriages instead of healthcare, unemployment, education, the wars?
Be patient my dear….don't get your pantyhose in a bunch!!!!
he stayed conspicuously quiet about this for the past 6 months. but i guess all the pressuring and poking at him worked huh? now hurry up and legalize same sex marriage already!
ATTENTION GAY PEOPLE. US STRAIGHT PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THIS SHIZZ. THANK YOU ALL FOR WAISTING MORE OF OUR PRESIDENTS TIME AWAY FROM MORE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE DEFENSE-TERRORISM-THE ECONOMY
sorry mario but 50% of this country consists of bible thumpers who think homosexuality is a sin and they should not get married so obviously obama does not want to upset his constituency
Obama is a fucking moron, and so is the rest of Washington.
He's doing the right thing so just be happy! you know He does have other "big" issues to deal with. Iran, N. Korea, resession, healthcare for all citizens, etc, etc, etc. Jeez
it's funny because you don't even realize that he is only doing that to keep the gay community from speaking up…
if the gay community decides to vote for someone else that would be bad for him…so to keep you all happy he does something that should have been done a long ass time ago…
i hope you all eventually realize he is only doing this to keep you QUIET
The guy only has the economy, health care, a war, guantanamo bay and education to sort out. That's no excuse for ignoring gay issues is it?
Re: Medieval Poetry –
i hope that is never removed b/c if it is ppl will die.
then you'll bitch some more.
tell me something though. My husband has been in the Marines for over four years now and I've been there every step of the way. So when he was in Aschool/Cschool the barracks were separated by sexes to ensure no one was having sex yada yada yada you know that thing called fraternization? So what happens when people come out and tell the whole world that they are gay? Do they make them stay with the opposite sex? leave them with the same sex? what? Quarantine them lol seriously how is your sexuality apart of your job as a United State's Armed Forces Member?
simple it's not.
Perez, you're not a stupid guy. If you're looking for any sweeping changes, you're not going to see them in his first term. Things like this are sadly a very divisive issue, and he knows it. I personally believe something like gay marriage would be an issue that would hurt his chances at re-electio, and while it' s sad, a lot of people wtil have that conservative mindset when it comes to this.
Would you rather see all of this done now, and give a boost to a Sarah Palin type in 2012? Or even with mid terms coming up?
It's fucking politics, sad but true! He'll focus on the economy and health care in his first term, that'll get him back in. Also, as of right now, I don't see anyone on the right that will challenge him, but that can change literally overnight. Ask Bush's daddy!
LET'S NOT FORGET THAT BILL CLINTON SIGNED INTO LAW THE HATEFUL DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT. ALL THE GAYS WORSHIP HIM YET HE'S NO BETTER TO US THAN BUSH WAS! CLINTON IS A FAT DOUCHE BAG McDONALDS EATING BLOWJOB GETTING SLOB!
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AS FOR OBAMA….I TOLD YOU HE WOULDN'T DO SHIT.
Re: brandidid – I second that! It should not matter if you are gay straight whatever…it is your job NOT your personal life…
Re: char65 – #10 OBAMA'S DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO WEAKEN OUR DEFENSES AND MAKE THE ECONOMY WORSE!
I really don't think this should be Obama's number one focus right now. I'm all for gay rights, but really? Let the man fix the economy, the war, make sure we don't all get bombed by N. Korea, etc first. Unfortunatley, there are bigger things going on than gay rights right now.
I agree, a lot needs to be done for the movement in gay rights (i'm bi myself) but why the hell would you take away the DADT act? Yes, it sucks, but can you imagine how many jocky homophobes are in the Military? I think its asking for trouble, if you ask me…
Re: brandidid –
Completely agree! My husband got out of the Marines back in 07 and is thinking of re enlisting. You said it better than I did. Thank you.
It's about time!
Decades of oppression cannot
B
undone.
I think gay people have earned
special privileges
that no
one else gets.
Like tax exempt status
for life
or
freedom from
hate and
vaginas.
What ever happen to separation of church and state. If there were such a thing all these religious fukcers wouldn’t have a say on us homosexuals. I believe in god but not religion because my god don’t hate me for who I am and how he created me. And as far as taking time out from the president to consider passing gay marriage, I feel since we took the time out of our busy lives to go vote and put his ass in office the least he can do is put it up for vote.
This isn't a big deal. Obama promised like 10 things in relation to gay rights. Federal benefits for same-sex partners? Don't most jobs already have that and discriminatory practices in the workplace are illegal anyway. Not impressed. I realize there are other matters going on in the world, but are gay people supposed to keep waiting to get equal rights? Seriously, as Obama said during his run, "A president is expected to do more than one thing at once). He really is slacking on this and as an Obama supporter and member of the LGBT community, I feel really let down.
I am happy that he is working on the issue. I do however feel that he cant tackle every major issue to every individual person in his first 7 months in office. give our government some time. I think that we need to prioritize what is important and handle unemployment and the finance situation first.
Why dont we start our own religion just like everyone else. All religions are man based. Name one god that came down here and wrote a book about himself and handed it out to people to preach……..NONE(no proof of that) so lets make a belief and follow it, then maybe we might be able to be married under our own god that doesnt judge us for how he created us.
Wtf perez? Your mad? Michigan is on its way to putting a closed sign on the welcome to michigan sign and you think the president should be spending all his attention on whether or not gays should get married or give you whatever you want? Especially move that up on the list oppose to the war or the fact north korea wants to nuke us? If obama was concerned about the gay and the gays only, this country would be done for.
I watched the Poko Pano fashion show that was held in Miami and there was not one woman of color
Is it that the designer would prefer to not have black customers or maybe she searched the
world and couldn't find a black model qualified enough to represent her line?
Has anyone ever noticed that Fashion TV never shows a black model for more than a second
Damn u won't be happy until he says Gays are better then everybody else
awesome picture….look at Obama trying to focus in to read the telepromter to us.
listen fatty! THERE ARE WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MORE IMPORTANT THINGS FOR A PREZ. TO DEAL WITH THAN THESE ISSUES!!!!! SERIOUSSLLY! AUGH! YOU'RE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ANNNNNNOOYING!
Look how long it's taken to get equal rights for blacks. Don't expect equal rights for gays overnight.
i hope you seriously are not trying to take some credit for this mario. if so you are way more delussional than i thought
You voted for him Perez!!!!!!
FUCK OFF - the President has more important things to worry about. Are you 15min over yet? Soon.
Take all the gay people out of the united states and watch how the land of the free falls. Yes we're that important. and if we mind our business with iran and n korea maybe he can focus on us… US THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER. So people need to stop with we have more important things to think about. NO WE DONT. YOU NEED TO START WITHIN. TIRED OF YOU STUPID ASS FUCKING STR8 PEOPLE THAT THINK WE'RE SECOND CLASS PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO WAIT LIKE IF WE'RE BLACK AND IN THE 1930'S WHERE WE HAD TO SIT IN THE BACK OF THE BUS OR LIKE JEWS THAT HAD TO WEAR THE STAR OF DAVID. I MEAN COME ON. THIS SHIT IS DEGRADING
I think that the rights of gay and lesbian couples has definitely taken a turn in the right direction in the past few years, more and more states are giving them the right to marriage and the rights of married couples, however I do not think that we can expect President Obama to put this first and foremost on his agenda. I understand that he has made promises to the gay and lesbian community and I fully believe that he intends to keep those promises. But with the country still fighting a war, taking an economic turn for the worst, and our national health care situation, our President has many other things on his agenda that include the entire US community.
Re: brandidid – HOW WILL PPL DIE IF THEY SAY THERE GAY. WHAT YOU THINK WE CANT DEFEND OURSELVES CUZ IF THATS THE CASE I LIVE IN THE SOUTH BRONX AND ILL TAKE YOU ON ANYDAY AND BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU IF YOU THINK IM LESS OF A MAN THEN A STR8 MAN. THATS STUPID THINKING . HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF YOU WERENT ABLE TO SAY YOUR STR8.
OK military folks in the Pentegon are Federal employees so if they come out and accept these benefits for their spouse or partner - will they be fired under DODT. He needs to get rid of DODT first - it's a joke!
I totally agree that gays should have ALL the rights that straight people do. The actual change isn't going to be that easy, even with a Democratic president. Part of the problem is that if he goes too far left he's going to alienate a lot of voters, and you might find a Republican in office the next time around. Good luck getting anything done then. And, just remember, he NEVER supported gay marriage.
Re: brandidid – guess what there are gay people in the army now - he is sleeping in the same room and showering with gays now!
Also Britian, Sweden, Netherland, Isreal, Australia and most countries allow gays to serve openly. So our troops are showering with, sleeping along side and fighting with openly gay men and women now.
It sounds like you are the one worried, maybe you think if DODT is lifted you husband might come out.
THERE ARE GAY PEOPLE EVERYWHERE - EVEN IN THE ARMY, NAVY and AIR FORCE NOW!!!
Re: J2xclusive – missing the point, people are seperated by sex in the military to prevent them from sleeping together. if a straight man is approached by a gay man, and said straight man has a gun in his hand… straight men (me included) do not like to be hit on by gay men, and to be honest it really pisses us off
Who exactly is "we've" supposed to be in the last sentence?? Seriously, I'm not be a sarcastic bitch either… Is perez talking about the LGBT community as a whole or himself/this website?
Head Still Up Your Arse Perez!!
President Obama has done what he said he would do - You did NOT Influence him - You were just Too Impatient!!
I think it is time to take your Head out of your Arse & see the Light Again Perez!!
and i'm sure you are responsible for all of this change Mario. *rolls eyes* Stop trying to take all the f*cking credit already.
Re: JigSaw – then you should go live under a rock. I dont get mad when women hit on me so why should u get mad when a man hits on you all you have to say is thank you but im not gay. and if something like that was to happen where the str8 man has a gun and kills the gay guy you already know whats going to happen. and the same goes for you if you think your more of a man then a gay guy come see me. Ill change that really quick.
He also said he can't support same sex marriage.
Maybe because Obama has bigger issues to worry about in the world besides benefits to same-sex partners… like the war and economy! You should be satisfied w/that… GEEZ!!!!
people who don't support gay rights should fuck off - seriously
Come on USA, catch up to Canada
Re: J2xclusive – We dont have more important things to think about? How about the auto companies? They are in dire need of help. If we dont think about them a little then you can kiss GM goodbye. The business that makes our cars for the military. Then if GM is gone, chrysler wont make it. There your talking about hundreds of thousands of jobs. After that chances are fords is done then there so is michigan. After that you see all the suppliers jobs disappearing. Then you begin to see the economy collapse. So yepp, there are more important things to think about then whether or not you can get married. Gay people are the ones who want to put above all the rest. Im pretty sure when an issue is voted on in a state vote, majority wins. But what you people are starting to believe is that its not a fair vote if your side isnt the winner.
Re: brandidid – Military personnel who can not follow orders should not be in the military, plain and simple. Does separate quarters by gender stop fraternization? I doubt it. Do you have any information to share on the number of military personnel who become pregnant by military personnel during active duty?
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It's downright appalling, verging on treason, to hear you predict and seem to justify the death to military personnel by military personnel because of homosexuality.
Re: JigSaw – Hey Jig! Let's be clear here: Military personnel are separated by gender to try to prevent sexual relations; sleeping is NOT the issue. Military personnel are not being paid to copulate. The military does and should have the right to impose limits on behavior beyond what civilians would find comfortable.
Re: J2xclusive – Also if your going to make a statement, make sure its correct. The wearing of the star of david was a european law. The united states was still under their control at the time of the law. It was a law in european countries until the 16th century when it was abolished. Since then, the only time it was brought back into play was during the world war 2 in european countries. Not by the united states so i really dont know how you can place any blame on this country.
Re: J2xclusive – Hola BX! Washington Heights here.
Re: MEMEME4 – nothing is more important then somebodys rights. regardless of whats going on in the world. and because fat old white men decided to rip this country apart for decades and now see the repercussion isnt the homo's fault. nothing justifies why gay ppl r second class. NOTHING and another thing because your str8 you think that everything else besides gay rights is more important.. YOUR STR8 KEEP OUT OF IT u dont see us gay ppl saying make hetero illegal. so fuck off and let us live
Re: MEMEME4 – first of all i was comparing segregated groups to how homosexuals in America are now.
Re: J2xclusive – not as easy as you put it, I have been stalked by many gay men, had to file police reports, fired one, got another fired and so much more… many gay men who have come on to me would not take no as an answer. You may take no for an answer, not everyone does… As for living under a rock, no thanks
Re: b a t k i s s – Hey!! Well maybe not the best wording, but….
Re: J2xclusive – Okay so its more important for you to be able to get married then millions of people losing their jobs and homes. Thats mroe important than this country going into such a depression where you wont even be able to afford to get married or nothing will even be open to get married legally at. Your rights are sooooo important that its more important to worry on gay people alone and not everyone else in this land. No you make no sense at all. I feel bad for you im not against gay marriage but it certainly is not more important than everything else thats going on right now. You wont be happy until the straight people are second class citizens.
Re: J2xclusive – Second of all, for you to compare your situation to the jews and blacks situation is pretty pathetic. I dont know you, you might be black but one thing is for sure, chances are you werent one of the deprived ones. Youve probably only read about it. Because your gay, your still allowed to ride on the bus in the same seats as everyone else and still allowed to go to whatever restaurant you want. You arent anybodys slave. Because your gay, you dont have to be like the jews and be refused showers and have to work all day and night to the point you die from it. Your not in a concentration camp. This issue does not even compare to what they went through. Dont even compare it. Your given every right except the ones that go along with being married. If you could ask someone who was black during the slave times and a jewish person that went through the camps, I can almost guarentee they'd rather have your rights.
Re: MEMEME4 – Whats sad is you. Like I said its the old white men that did this country wrong. like Madoff. and if you think that the country has to worry about GM and things like that then ur doom to be broke because if they fall something is soon to be build. a new company will come in and people will get jobs. but thats besides the point. since ur perfectly legal to marry it doesnt seem that important to you. so i c ur point. and another thing before the meltdown happen and b4 the titanic sunk b4 mormons was on this earth.. GAY PEOPLE WERE HERE AND GOING THROUGH THINGS AND GETTING KILLED. so yes its about time things change and we put us b4 anything. so with that being said GO FUCK URSELF.
Obama has his plate full, but gays want to be first on his agenda. They want it all right now, without much effort. Focus on the states. Let the people speak. Obama just did a big thing for the gays yesterday and look how divisive the gay community is still acting. I'm getting very turned off to the cause.
Re: JigSaw – Wow, I had no idea you have had those types of adverse interactions with gay guys. Were it not for your massive dick…smile…and move forward. Seriously, I appreciate your candor.
its good he is working on this issue but think about it. if it was all the sudden legal in this recession everyone would start getting married just to get money. and it would effect america drastically
Re: JigSaw – Cause your ass is so cute! Come on Jiggy? ox
Re: UGLY DONKEY FACE = PEREZ – yea finally we start putting our foot down and DEMAND some attention and respect. everyday theres a hate crime commited against homosexuals and thats been happening for 100s of years. ALL BECAUSE RELIGION. so now people need to sit back and watch gay people finally be fully happy. we werent always in a recession so why didnt we get it b4.. now there using the excuse of the recession to put off gay rights.. lmao get the fuck out of here. NO WE WONT WAIT ANYMORE. so you just wait till october when we rally in front of the white house.
Re: b a t k i s s – lol, yeah and one was a cousin… have not seen him since… one thing though, i did not make it very clear that these guys were the exception not the rule… and I do not judge anyone by the actions of these people, but my guard is up… and i dont smile
I'm glad that gays are taking their money away from the Democrats. The Republicans understand their position…they are so compassionate to gay issues and stuff. Everyone knows that McCain/Palin would have legalized same sex marriage the first week in office…we're so fucked with Obama.
Re: SWEETPIECE! – you know it
To all of you who say that the President has a whole host of more pressing issues I say bullshit! Obama was the one who said "A President should be able to do multiple things at once" besides it is not like he has to figure out a way how to support equality, it is not complex at all, it is a matter of being true to your principles and recognize equality as the right policy to pursue. So I don't buy that lame excuse.
Re: Conch606 – thats not true mormons like mccain send gays to a camp to get "better" lmao serious mormons dont believe in homosexuality i know because i was mormon at one point living in arizona and the things that they say about us is beyond this world.
You're lucky you got anything 6 months into his administration. In case you haven't notice, there are more things to deal with than YOUR whiny Gay yabberings. Guess what, he has OTHER Americans to think about too.
Re: J2xclusive – All your argument is that because im straight I cant have an opinion. Well I get to vote on it, so yes I do have an opinion. You dont care about the things going on in michigan and you dont care about the war and you dont care about the economy because its obviously not affecting you. If you lived in michigan you would understand that at this point its sink or swim time and the majority wont swim. If you understood that because of bush, were stuck in a war that our fellow americans are fighting in and getting killed in, its obamas responsibility to handle it. If you were being affected by the economy you would be saying I need my job. Not everyone has time for a company to establish itself. For some, it is a life and death issue. Yes gays were killed and nothing was done but you werent alive in that time. God, Im a woman so can I preach and feel I should be compensated for what happened before it even affected my life. No, I roll with the punches. Its an issue being voted on. If the majority doesnt want it, then its not happening. Its america so we all have a voice no just if the issue affects your life. And let me guess what you'll say, go fuck yourself right? You show some real class
Re: J2xclusive –
yes I might have been a bit dramatic saying they would die lol but I sure as hell know that they will have their asses beat and be segregated/hazed/harassed from people who don't accept "gays". You have to realize that there are some really big homophobes in the military and again what does ones sexuality have to do with their job. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. hence don't ask don't tell b/c NO ONE WANTS TO KNOW
Re: KOOL KID –
no shit lol gays are every where is like a fucking pandemic. but still that doesn't mean that someone isn't going to get hurt b/c they take it up the ass!
hell there are plenty of lesbians in the navy but no one bothers them b/c they choose not to rub what goes on in THE BEDROOOM
seriously go enlist and see what happens please do it ty
Re: b a t k i s s –
Yeah it happens and people are punished for it and I'm in no way approving of people getting hurt but it happens. my husband would never particpate in such an act but believe me people have been harassed on bases that we've lived at because of their lifestyle choices.
Obama is not a real president, he is a CELEBRITY. A man with an ego bigger than his ears, and that is a lot of "bigger"- He gave this extended ins to the gays, because the poor man do not have a personality, he will cave to everyone even if he doesn't beleive in their cause.
I still can't believe this man is the the president of United States of America. He and Michelle are not less frivolous than Lohan and Britney….Media whores!!!!!!!!
Sad
Re: brandidid – Military service, service in defense of one's country, was once a noble and honorable choice of profession. Sadly, the institutional mentality you describe - harassment of gay military personnel - is not honorable or noble. It is self-centered, small-minded and I believe you when you say very real. Ignoring such an offensive institutional behavior will not make the behavior go away.
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Most heterosexuals I know, some of whom are in the military even, do not think their sexuality is a choice. Similarly, I don't feel my homosexuality is a choice. If find it odd that when referring to another person's life, you suggest sexuality is a choice. Do you consider your sexuality a choice?
I fully support gays having full rights. But please remember how long it has taken equality to be given to anyone…jewish, christians, african americans, immigrants, women…and so forth. I know it is not fair, but gays will have to fight long and hard for equality just like ever other mistreated soul has and many still are. Equality has never been a speedy and never will. But each and every election you will always have my vote… Good luck
First off, the main concern of our country is not your petty gay-boy desires. Whether or not same-sex partners can receive the same benefits…. what is that going to do for our country as a whole? We're on the borderline of a depression. And you are complaining about the fact that gay partners can't be looked upon as completely normal. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that NOBODY REALLY CARES except for those that share your same twisted ambitions. Our nation was strong when it was all one. Everyone trying to change it is doing exactly it implies. The threads that were once similar in nature are now split. While they all exist, they surely will not last long and in the end all is lost.
F*ck the DOMA. Who cares if it's a little step forward, when he's gone back about so much? Partners of federal employees only? Come on.
"While we think Obama's latest move is a step in the right direction, it's a bit disappointing that we've had to light a fire under his ass to get the gears in motion!"
North Korea is getting ready to point missiles at us. Iran is on the fast-track to becoming a failed state and who's gonna get the blame? America. The economy is circling the toilet. Oh, and gays want to get married.
If you were the president and this was on your plate, what would be your fucking priority? Gays will get their rights, make no mistake of that, and when it happens, it will be a wonderful, joyous day. But wait and see how much any of it will matter when North Korea starts dropping bombs on us. Give Obama a break, he'll get to you when he's not trying to derail another war.
I agree with target disco. There is sooo much stuff on his plate……I'm glad that at least now the federal employees can cover thier partner. Private industry has been doing it for MANY years. So blame the jerk-offs before Obama. K.
HAHAHAHA! I told you so, beeyatch, but you wouldn't post that particular comment. You get "limited" benefits. Like I said, he would toss you a bone just to string your demographic along in order to get your votes for the next go around. If he gets too cozy with the queers he will lose votes from other demographics. It's politics baby. They say one thing to get elected and then do another once they get in office. They are always thinking about the next election. Next time try voting for someone who will tell you straight up what he really thinks. Like Ron Paul. At least he's honest; so honest his own party threw him under the bus regularly.
More and more states are accepting same sex marriages!!!
Re: Dunya –
They aren't accepting it, they are having forced on them by the courts.