"President Barack Obama, whose gay and lesbian supporters have grown frustrated with his slow movement on their priorities, is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees
but stopping short of a guarantee of full health insurance, a White House official said."
AP source: Benefits for govt workers' gay partners - Yahoo! News
I have also heard that the plan does not include pension benefits. It does come with group hugs though.
Side note: I wonder if there is any legislation that allows for Obama to do this. I am sure the legislation passed by Congress specified benefits for people legally married, and that excludes all gays because of the Defense of Marriage Act.
I think Obama knows this will never actually happen, the benefits will not be valid because gays are not legally married under federal law, or the courts will strike it down because it needs to go through the legislative process.
I am not falling for it until I see some real results. Obama may be a brilliant person when it come to political maneuvering, but that does not mean anything actually happens.