[This post originally appeared at Lean Left, a general-issues blog KTK also contributes to. The founders of Lean Left graciously allowed me to re-post it here to bring all my health-related posts into one place. Original posting: 2/22/2004]

A press release from the Human Rights Campaign highlights a problem I had never heard of or imagined: some large companies offer pet insurance as an employee benefit (what the hell is pet insurance?), but do not offer health benefits to domestic partners of gay employees. That’s right: animals qualify for benefits, but gays aren’t deserving enough.

Home Depot finally became the latest company to change this policy by adding domestic-partnership benefits, but still does not have a gender-identity nondiscrimination policy. At least three other Fortune 500 companies offer pet insurance without domestic partnership insurance. Only about a third of companies surveyed offer any domestic partner benefits.

I guess Rick Santorum was right: gay relationships do lead to bestiality. It’s the only way to get health insurance.