Obama extends "too little, too late" benefits to LGBT federal employees

President Obama took a first step yesterday in fulfilling his campaign promises to LGBT America. He signed a memo aimed at extending a tiny number of benefits -- not health insurance -- to the same-sex spouses of federal employees, but as has been noted by many others, this is far too late and too little.

So far, the administration has an awful record on LGBT rights. At this point, Obama is relying on token action and empty words. Yesterday's memo is a start, but it falls far short of what LGBT families desperately need now.

I agree with Mixner. From The New York Times:

“I think it’s insulting,” David Mixner, a prominent gay rights advocate, said of the new benefits plan. “Without minimizing how it will improve lives to some extent, what they said to us today is we will give you family leave, some things like that, but the most important thing, health care, we’re not giving you.”

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is more positive. Rachel Maddow interviews Baldwin:

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HRC's Joe Solmonese comments on Keith Olbermann:


Meanwhile, two more people have pulled out of the Democratic National Committee fundraiser in protest over the DOJ DOMA brief. These include prominent donor Bruce Bastian who says he's closing his wallet to the party.

People for the American Way has started a Dump DOMA petition.