Benefits fight brings lesbian couple to high court

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By LISA LEFF

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Like a lot of newlyweds, Karen Golinski was eager to enjoy the financial fruits of marriage. Within weeks of her wedding, she applied to add her spouse to her employer-sponsored health care plan, a move that would save the couple thousands of dollars a year.

Her ordinarily routine request still is being debated more than four years later, and by the likes of former attorneys general, a slew of senators, the Obama administration and possibly this week, the U.S. Supreme Court.

Because Golinski is married to another woman and works for the U.S. government, her claim for benefits has morphed into a multi-layered legal challenge to a 1996 law that prohibits the federal government from recognizing unions like hers.

The high court has scheduled a closed-door conference for Friday to review Golinski's case and four others that also seek to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act overwhelmingly approved by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton.

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20121125/DA2P8CJO1.html

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In this photo taken Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, Amy Cunninghis, left, and Karen Golinski, right, walk down a street near their home in San Francisco. All Golinski wanted was to enroll her spouse in her employer-sponsored health plan. Four years later, her request still is being debated. Because Golinski is married to another woman and she works for the federal government, her personal personnel problem has morphed into a multi-pronged legal attack by gay rights activists to overturn the 1996 law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

[loyalkydem]

1. As long as

the extreme right has a say, it's going to continue to be an uphill battle

[wordpix]

2. this is absurd, the gov is wasting resources on legal cases instead of covering one more person

and BTW, gov health care is not free, either

[ricardA]

3. Problem + reaction = solution

Population management in action. I don't think they really care to solve the main issues here, which are respect for the fellow human being and the needed access to reliable health care

Notice the most immediate beneficiaries: press, law and coutrs, and policy makers.

So, what people need to do is start to work in setting labs, clinics, good health services, and scan all the laws allready existing that allow that. Rather than paying for a theoretical help put that money into something like that. If for no laws exist already then efficiently work for that by first proving the solution needed rather than the one sought by special interest.

Show them by example, not by show.

[justiceischeap]

5. What's your point? Gays shouldn't be allowed to receive federal bennies?

That's what it sounds like you're implying. That old "slippery slope" argument that if you allow gay people to have equal rights, then you've got to allow polygamy (group marriages) or let people marry their animals.

Just FYI, straight people can marry for any reason they want at this point and receive all the federal benefits available to them. I don't see your post complaining about this sort of thing already happening.

[Orangepeel]

6. You think straight people don't get married for health insurance now?

People get married for all kinds of reasons from good to stupid.

And, although safeguarding the health of someone you love seems like a pretty good reason to me, gay people have as much right as straight people to get married for the stupid reasons.

[SWTORFanatic]

7. If this was such a problem, why haven't we been hearing about it already? A gay (or straight)

person can already marry a person of the opposite sex solely for the purpose of getting on their health insurance.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Well, at least they won't marry to get a draft deferment

... since there is no longer a draft.

Straight couples live together. Sometimes circumstances suggest that marriage is a good idea. Maybe medical insurance, taxes, survivor Social Security benefits, military family benefits, or just to get the in-laws off their backs.

Is it anyone else's business WHY a couple gets married?

Does it somehow hurt YOU if a gay couple marries?