Proposed legislation for expanded federal health care is discriminatory
against same-sex couples and their families, says the executive director of GOProud, a
conservative Republican group.

In an op-ed in The Hill on Thursday, Jimmy LaSalvia wrote that because of the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal recognition of same-sex marriages, gay and lesbian couples could be harmed by an expansion of federal health care.

"The left's demand for government-run healthcare, the so-called 'public option,' will leave gay and lesbian families completely and totally out," he said. "Gays, who currently are able to secure health insurance that provides for domestic partner benefits for their families, will find no such options when it comes to government-run healthcare. Worst, low-income gay and lesbian families, who can’t afford private insurance and will be forced by federal mandate into government-run healthcare, will be hit the hardest."