MADISON, Wis. -- An online report about U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin's domestic partner taking a military flight overseas has sparked a flap that has local activists on either side of the same-sex marriage issue are weighing in.

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While some believe the incident could serve as a precedent that could push the same-sex marriage debate forward, others charge that the controversy is much ado about nothing, WISC-TV reported.

The divided reaction follows a new report posted Tuesday on national, political Web site, Politico.com. The site's report said that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to intervene with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to get Baldwin's domestic partner, Lauren Azar, on a military flight to Europe during Easter break.

Azar, a Madison environmental lawyer and state Public Service Commission member, is Baldwin's partner with whom she exchanged marriage vows in the past and is listed as a spouse by Baldwin on paperwork.

Azar joined Baldwin and other Democratic and Republican lawmakers on a taxpayer-funded, congressional fact-finding mission to Europe that was related to global warming and greenhouse gases.

However, Azar was nearly blocked from boarding the flight as Gates sought to enforce House travel rules. The regulations say that only lawmakers' spouses can board military jets if there's room and federal law defines spouse as a person married to another of the opposite sex.

When Azar's flight got questioned, Pelosi stepped in and issued an exception to the rules, which she had the authority to do. She said that it was based on what she called a precedent set by her predecessor, the former speaker of the House, WISC-TV reported.

Julaine Appling, who heads up a group opposed to same-sex marriage called Wisconsin Family Council Inc., said that she believes Pelosi is just pushing a same-sex marriage agenda.

"This is an example of Pelosi's agenda being worked out in reality, in my opinion," Appling said. "When she has the opportunity to basically redefine spouse, she took advantage of that opportunity and I think she set something of a precedence there."

Steve Starkey, the executive director of OutReach Inc., a Madison-based group supporting gay, lesbians, bisexual and transgender persons, said that he disagrees entirely. Starkey said that he think it's all a non-issue, but points out what he says is a double standard he sees.

"I actually think it's an example of gay people getting double discrimination. In other words, it's illegal for us to marry, but then we're punished for not marrying, for not being married," he said.

Starkey said that he also thinks the incident is "petty" and believes Pelosi only wanted to "bend the rules" a little and had no ulterior motive. He said that he doesn't think there was any violation of law.

Appling said she disagrees and thinks Azar being on a publicly funded flight is a violation of federal rules relating to spouses.

Capitol watchers said that some sort of travel rule deal between Pelosi and Gates appears to be in the works. Their offices didn't return calls by WISC-TV to seek comment.

Baldwin's press office said that she isn't commenting on the incident.