White House LGBT Pride Reception Today

For the second year in a row, the White House is hosting a reception for the LGBT community in honor of Pride month. The reception is happening today at 4pm. Interestingly, while the invitation list has not yet been released it is widely believed that this year it does not include any of the leaders of the national LGBT organizations (like HRC, NGLTF, PFLAG, NBJC or SLDN), but focuses on "heads of state equality groups, members of the LGBT community with compelling stories and a contingent of LGBT youth."

Just in time for this year's pride celebration the Obama administration announces a policy change which results in an incremental increase in rights for LGBT people.

From The New York Times:

The policy will be set forth in a ruling to be issued Wednesday by the Labor Department’s wage and hour division, the officials said.

Under a 1993 law, people who work for a company with 50 or more employees are generally entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a newborn or for a spouse, son or daughter with “a serious health condition.”

The new ruling indicates that an employee in a same-sex relationship can qualify for leave to care for the child of his or her partner, even if the worker has not legally adopted the child.

The ruling, in a formal opinion letter, tackles a question not explicitly addressed in the 1993 law. It is one of many actions taken by the Obama administration to respond to the concerns of gay men and lesbians within the constraints of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman as husband and wife.

In April, Mr. Obama announced plans to grant hospital visiting rights to same-sex partners, and the Justice Department concluded that the Violence Against Women Act protects same-sex partners.

Last year, I knew Los Angeles residents Jeff Kim and Curtis Chin attended the reception. This year the only one I know who has been invited is Faith Cheltenham, a well-known local African-American bi activist.

Karen Ocamb notes that the event will be streamed live at www.whitehouse.gov/live at 3pm PDT/6pm EDT.