November 24, 2009 – Lesbian activist legislator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is pushing for passage of H.R. 2517, a bill that will extend health care, vision, dental, disability benefits, family medical and emergency leave, long-term care insurance, compensation for work injuries and other federal benefits to unmarried LGBT individuals. 

Last week, a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed the measure on a 23-12 party-line vote.

The bill defines domestic partner as an unmarried adult living in a committed relationship with an unmarried person of the same sex and who plans on living with that person indefinitely.

Federal domestic partners would sign sworn affidavits to verify their relationship. (If lesbian lawyer Chai Feldblum becomes an Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner, she will undoubtedly redefine “domestic partnership” to mean any grouping of individuals who wish to have sex together.)

When a domestic partnership dissolves, the federal employee must notify the government within 30 days. In addition, if the federal employee dies, the domestic partner can get their benefits.

Natural born children or adopted children of a domestic partner of a federal employee will be considered stepchildren of the federal employee and can receive benefits.

“Baldwin’s goal is to have LGBT individuals’ relationships given the same federal benefits accorded to traditional married couples,” said TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty.  “It is an attempt to circumvent the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage in federal law as a union of one man and one woman.”

Additional Resources:
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/deathofmarriage.pdf
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/SameSexMarriage.pdf
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/GayMarriageCivilDomestic.pdf
http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/CivilUnions.pdf