Clinton to Extend Benefits to Gay Partners

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will soon announce that the partners of gay U.S. diplomats are eligible for many benefits currently denied them and allowed to spouses of heterosexual diplomats, according to lawmakers and others advocating the change.

The Bush administration had resisted efforts to treat same-sex partners the same as spouses. Thus those partners were denied a wide array of benefits, such as paid travel to and from overseas posts, shipments of household effects, visas and diplomatic passports, emergency travel to visit ill or injured partners, and evacuation in case of a security emergency or medical necessity.

Those benefits will be extended to all unmarried domestic partners -- both same-sex and heterosexual -- under the policy shift to be announced by Clinton in the coming days, according to a draft memo prepared for Clinton's signature. The draft was provided to The Washington Post by an official with the organization Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies.

J. Michelle Schohn, president of the organization, said she had read media reports on the draft memo and was hopeful the changes would be implemented soon. "It would make great changes in the lives" of gay Foreign Service officers and be "a giant step for equality," she said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/24/AR2009052402145_pf.html

of how this came about. She promised to look into the issue and carried through.

Good day for civil rights for the people involved and their families/friends.

I suppose it sidestepped those disgusting court challenges to human rights ala "The protection of marriage act" or other such execrable legislation.

Washington State is doing something similar with the Domestic partnership law. It's a small victory, but not enough. It does do some great things, providing power to suffering partners shunned by families in the event of a loved partners death, sad things like that as well as increasing financial security.

I won't be content, neither ethically or politically until there are full human rights for Gays.

:kick:

She promised that she would look into it and she did.

:applause:

full marriage equality? I've always been surprised she doesn't support it.