Obama does a little, promises more for gay workers

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Wednesday extended limited job benefits to gay partners of US government workers in what he called a first step to end discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Under pressure from gay rights groups, Obama urged Congress to pass legislation that would extend full healthcare and retirement benefits to gay families in the 1.9 million-strong federal workforce, as many US businesses already do.

"Many of our government's hardworking and dedicated and patriotic public servants have long been denied basic rights that their colleagues enjoyed for one simple reason: the people that they love are of the same sex," Obama said before signing an order to extend benefits for federal workers' gay partners.