On Friday, June 20, President Barack Obama will announce his decision that allows legally married gay couples to receive the benefits and rights of the Family and Medical Leave Act in all 50 states, even those that do not recognize gay marriage. The Family and Medical Leave Act is the statute that allows those employed to take 12 weeks of “unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons” according to the United States Department of Labor. This means that gay couples are given the right to care for their sick spouses without penalty or threat of losing their jobs.
Prior to this decision, gay couples only received this courtesy if they lived in a state in which their marriage was recognized as legal. Obama’s decision directs the Department of Labor to extend these benefits to all states, even those that do not recognize gay marriage.
“The basic promise of the FMLA is that no one should have to choose between succeeding at work and being a loving family caregiver,” Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said in a statement according to Metro Weekly. “Under the proposed revisions, the FMLA will be applied to all families equally, enabling individuals in same-sex marriages to fully exercise their rights and fulfill their responsibilities to their families.”
According to the Huffington Post, on Tuesday, Obama also said he would sign an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against workers based on their sexual orientation.
The Obama Administration has already made efforts to expand gay rights. Already, the president has pushed laws to ensure gay couples have equal access to health insurance, have the same immigration privileges, and the same tax benefits as those extended to heterosexual couples. Congress still has a lot to address, and Obama urges gay rights activists to continue pressuring the passage of more protective and all-encompassing laws.
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