Found this story streaming across the headlines on the OC Register website.
By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama, under growing criticism for not seeking to end the ban on openly gay men and women in the military, is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
Obama plans to announce his decision on Wednesday in the Oval Office, a White House official said Tuesday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the president hadn’t yet signed the presidential memorandum.
The official said Obama would release more details on Wednesday.
The decision is a political nod to a reliably Democratic voting bloc that in recent weeks has grown frustrated with the White House’s slow movement on their priorities.
Read the complete story here.
This is great news to the thousands of gay and lesbian partners working in federal service. Every step forward towards equality is a step in the right direction.