President Obama granted a range of new benefits to same-sex couples Friday, including those who live in states where gay marriage is against the law.
The new measures range from Social Security and veterans benefits to work leave for caring for sick spouses.
The benefits come a year after the Supreme Court struck down a law barring federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
They are part of the administration’s efforts to expand whatever protections it can offer to gays and lesbians even though more than half the states don’t recognize gay marriage.
That effort has been confounded by laws that say some benefits should be conferred only to couples whose marriages are recognized by the states where they live, rather than the states where they were married.
Aiming to circumvent that issue, the Veterans Affairs Department will start letting gay people who tell the government they are married to a veteran to be buried alongside them in a national cemetery, drawing on the VA’s authority to waive the usual marriage requirement.
In a similar move, the Social Security Administration will start processing some survivor and death benefits for those in same-sex relationships who live in states that don’t recognize gay marriage.
New York is one of 19 states plus the District of Columbia that currently recognize gay marriage. Court challenges to gay-marriage bans are pending in many other states.
For Tim Sagen of Fort Collins, Colo., the implications could be profound. A retired electrical engineer, Sagen receives higher Social Security payments than his 79-year-old partner, Ken Hoole. The two will celebrate their 47th anniversary in August but until now would have been prevented from accessing each other’s benefits.
“If I was to die, it would be really significant for Ken,” Sagen said. “Not only is it financially beneficial, but psychologically it’s beneficial. It’s nice to know that your relationship is recognized.”
Meanwhile, the Labor Department said it would start drafting rules making clear that the Family and Medical Leave Act applies to same-sex couples, ensuring that gay and lesbian workers can take unpaid leave to care for a sick spouse.
The steps mark the latest attempt by Obama to promote acceptance for gays and lesbians and to ensure that they enjoy equal treatment.