The U.S. Labor Department will announce Wednesday the extension of family and medical leave rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act to gay and lesbian workers. Under a directive from President Obama, the 1993 law that required companies with more than 50 employees to give employees up to 12 weeks off to care for a newborn or child with “a serious health condition” will now extend to same-sex couples, even if the child is not the biological or legal kin of the gay parent. Obama’s new policy more clearly defines “in loco parentis,” which applies to “those with day-to-day responsibilities to care for and financially support a child,” administration officials say, thus covering (insert air quotes!) nontraditional parents. It will not, however, force companies to grant leave to gay employees who need to care for an ill partner; thanks, DOMA!
Chris
well…he’s nibbling away at it.
It looks like he’s going for the snowball effect which, as any politicallly minded person will tell you, is always more effective than a direct and forceful attempt at action.
alejandro
thank you obama đ
even though im not american. your doing so much for gay people!
jeffree
I am very much like a dawg. Throw me a bone or a ball and I will try my bestest to catch it. For any of us who have kids [I don’t yet] or want to have/ adopt a child [once I have a real job, sign me up!] this is still meaningful.
But what the hey happens if my better half gets sick? Then, we are just plumb out of luck………..
We need ENDA. We need it now.
When Gay Inc. going to realize that?
Yo, Big Joe S., yeah I’m talkin’ to YOU!
tjr101
I know it pains Queerty to report this.
Bill Perdue
More Easter Eggs.
We need tough anti-discrimination laws, not pissant memos and regulations that’ll disappear if, more likely when, Obama gets swept out of office.
We need a comprehensive federal law with real teeth to guarantee equal rights on the job, in housing and in social services, accommodations and etc.
We need a Great White ENDA. But we’re not going to get relying on Republicans or Democrats.
Brutus
“We need tough anti-discrimination laws, not pissant memos and regulations that’ll disappear if, more likely when, Obama gets swept out of office.”
We need all of these things. And the presence of one is good for the presence of the other.
Bill Perdue
@Brutus: The current ENDA or a comprehensive federal equality law are not even remotely comparable to these temporary crumbs, a cowardly excuse for real equality.
Being honest for once, Republican party leaders openly call us faggots.
Skipping the honesty, as usual, Democrat party leaders call us faggots after we leave the room and give us crumbs.
“I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion … I want the full menu of rights.â Desmond Tutu [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KwpA6xz9vqc/Sr5mOlQui1I/AAAAAAAADQk/yqb6–bsD04/s400/obama-pelosi-reid.jpg[/img]
swarm
No. 3 ¡ jeffree
“I am very much like a dawg. Throw me a bone or a ball and I will try my bestest to catch it. For any of us who have kids [I don’t yet] or want to have/ adopt a child [once I have a real job, sign me up!] this is still meaningful.”
You missed the point. You qualify for FMLA leave RIGHT NOW for your child, adopted or otherwise without this new change. This new change allows for you to get the leave for your partner’s children if they need care. Present day law allows for FMLA leave for every person with a child. It doesn’t exclude you just for being gay.
What’s interesting about this is the premise that all gay couples are living out in public with their employers. You have to disclose this status to your company to qualify. I assume it’s also required that you co-habitate.
This begs the question now are het couples grandfathered if they are not “married”? What an HR nightmare lol.