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Moving Toward Equality for Federal Employees
Article

Moving Toward Equality for Federal Employees

Statement on the Domestic Partner Benefits Announcement

Statement from Winnie Stachelberg applauds the Obama administration's first steps on domestic partner benefits and offers suggestions on ways forward.

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Today's announcement is a step in the right direction for families like this one that rely on domestic parner benefits to provide care and protection for their children and spouse. (AP/Tony Ding)
Today's announcement is a step in the right direction for families like this one that rely on domestic parner benefits to provide care and protection for their children and spouse. (AP/Tony Ding)

Today’s announcement is an important step forward for LGBT federal employees and their families. The presidential memorandum signed today gives domestic partners some of the benefits granted to spouses of federal employees. This memorandum shows the president’s desire to provide equality for federal employees, but it is only a first step.

The president and others in the executive branch should work together with Congress to finish the job by passing measures such as the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, which would truly ensure equal benefits and rights for federal employees.

Read about how the federal government can use states as a model for offering domestic partner benefits:

View video and resources from an event on domestic partner benefits:

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Authors

Winnie Stachelberg

Former Executive Vice President, External Affairs

@wstachelberg