BELLEVUE, Wash. - Employees for the City of Bellevue will be offered full domestic partner benefits under a new vote by the City Council Monday night.

The change comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by three employees claiming the city was discriminating against gay and lesbian couples.

Bellevue firefighter Larry Degroen says he was forced to file suit along with two other employees, after being denied one day bereavement leave when his partner's father died.

"I don't think I deserve to be treated like a second-class citizen, and I don't want my gay and lesbian co-workers to feel the pain that I felt in being told that my family doesn't matter," said Degroen. "I think this lawsuit has really shown that… the time is right for the City of Bellevue to move forward."

A week after Degroen's suit, Bellevue took up the issue. On Monday, they voted on changes to the city code which will extend family benefits to unmarried city employees, both gay and straight.

The new policy will cost somewhere between $165,000 and $400,000 per year.

The State, King County, Seattle and several other smaller cities already offer these types of benefits to employees.

KING 5's Tonya Mosley contributed to this report.