United Nations staff gain benefits for gay partners
The United Nations took a cautious step today in recognizing gay and unmarried heterosexual partnerships among their employees by deciding to grant couples health and other benefits - if their home country allows it. Although a relatively small number of staff would be affected, the administrative order by Secretary-General Kofi Annan could lead to a muddle, with some wondering why standards differ according to nationalities with some General Assembly members questioning the entire action, diplomats said. While the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada permit same-sex marriage, Scandinavian governments offer extensive non-marital partnership rights, with less comprehensive rights offered in most Western European nations, Australia and New Zealand. In the United States, the federal government would be asked for a ruling, and U.N. officials assumed the answer would be "no."
Reuters
« Read Previous Post | Queer Day Home | Read Next Story »
