Oklahomans React to Extended Gay Rights

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- President Barack Obama extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees but stopped short of a guarantee of full health insurance. Oklahomans are reacting to the new measure.

Obama's move Wednesday would direct the State Department to take into account same-sex couples and their children when assigning housing for foreign service officers. Those same-sex partners also would be allowed access to medical facilities at diplomatic posts abroad -- all end-runs around Congress' limit on benefits.

White House officials said Obama would respect existing laws, which block many benefits such as health care. But the decision would allow employees' domestic partners to be added to a government insurance program that pays for long-term conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease.
The memorandum also would allow employees to use sick leave to take care of domestic partners and their children.

Here in Oklahoma, many opposed the president's move, but those who support gay-rights, support the measure and want to see the president do even more.

"It's not marriage. It's not a union. It's not anything like that. It's extending benefits and I think it's only the right thing to do," said State Representative Al McAffrey.

McAffrey is gay and said this is a matter of equality as guaranteed in the constitution.

"There's going to be some discussion on it, but over all, I think it's going to be fine," he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma also supported the move, but said it's not enough.

"In a lot of ways this seems to me to be crumbs from the table," said Chuck Thorton with the ACLU of Oklahoma. "The ACLU would like to see the day where same sex couples are allowed to marry."

But conservatives said the new policy is a threat to what they call the traditional family.

"Of all the building blocks in society, the most important one is traditional family, male, female and children, and we need to discriminate in favor of that special relationship," said former State Representative Kevin Calvey.

Calvey was behind an Oklahoma law that defines marriage between a man and a woman. He said the new policy equates gay relationships with heterosexual marriage.

"So that will tend to tear down the very fabric and building block of our society over time," Calvey said.

The benefits do not extend to military members.