You can call your union steward--but I'll bet that he tells you that the benefits don't extend to same-sex partners--We would have heard about it on the CBS Evening News if the State of Minnesota extended insurance benefits to same sex-partners--if I remember correctly no other state offers this benefit.

There are a few cities that provide benefits for same-sex partners, and, if I remember, there are some cities where efforts have been made to require that these benefits be provided--since a lot of employers only provide benefits for the employee, not the family, this created the possibility that only same sex partners would receive benefits--

If you feel that you are being discriminated against, your only recourse is to file a lawsuit--you may feel that it is worth it to find an attorney and pursue this, but remember that health insurance is not a blanket entitlement, like it once was, and since many workers with traditional families cannot get coverage for their spouses, you may find it hard to show a pattern of discrimination--