HRC Calls On Republican Leaders To Repudiate Santorum
HRC called on Republican leaders to repudiate deeply insensitive and hurtful comments made by Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in an Associated Press story that ran April 21. The story quotes Santorum comparing homosexuality with bigamy, polygamy, incest and adultery. He also said that homosexuality, feminism and liberalism undermine the family.
Santorum is the Republican Party's conference chairman, the third-highest seat in the GOP leadership. Santorum's statements marked the second time in recent months that a Republican leader has made comments marginalizing or attacking an entire segment of the population. In December 2002, Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., made remarks at then-Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party that that many interpreted as supporting segregation.
In response to Lott's statements, President Bush said, "We must continue our advance toward full equality for every citizen, which demands the guarantee for civil rights for all." Lott stepped down as majority leader shortly thereafter.
In the AP story, Santorum, reportedly fuming over the Supreme Court case that could ultimately invalidate state sodomy laws, seemed to directly contradict Bush's call for equality by contending that states have the right to criminalize homosexual behavior.
HRC Urges Senators To Oppose Nomination of Jeffrey Sutton
HRC opposes the nomination of Jeffrey Sutton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. The Senate is expected to vote on the nomination as early as April 29. On Feb. 13, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-8 in favor of Sutton's nomination
In an April 7 letter to the Senate, HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch wrote: "Mr. Sutton has been a leader in the effort to limit congressional authority to enact laws protecting civil and disability rights, and his activism in this regard has dealt a critical blow to disability rights in this nation." She continued, "As a community that is disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS, we are gravely concerned about Sutton's advocacy against legal protections for people with disabilities ... we are also very concerned about Sutton's views of Congress' authority to enact legislation aimed at curbing criminal violence, such as hate crimes legislation."
HRC Lauds CDC Goal of Increased HIV/AIDS Testing
The Human Rights Campaign lauded the Centers for Disease Control on April 17, as it unveiled a new initiative designed to increase HIV/AIDS testing. However, HRC asserted that increased testing must be accompanied by the appropriate counseling and should be a part of a larger, more comprehensive program.
The new initiative seeks to increase the availability of
HIV/AIDS testing by recommending that routine HIV testing be offered in more
health care settings than they currently are and through utilization of a
recently approved rapid HIV/AIDS test.
HRC has long maintained
that any meaningful effort to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this country must
include a comprehensive prevention plan that includes safe-sex education along
with testing and care for those infected.
The CDC estimates that there are roughly 40,000 new HIV infections in the United States each year, with an estimated 900,000 individuals already living with the disease. Of those, an estimated 200,000 are unaware that they are infected.
Early Treatment for HIV Act 2003 Introduced in Senate
The Early Treatment for HIV Act 2003, which would provide Medicaid coverage to low-income Americans living with HIV before they develop AIDS and become too sick to work, was introduced April 9 by Sens. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y..
Currently, childless adults living with HIV generally qualify for Medicaid coverage once they become eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which occurs when they become disabled. Thus, a person with asymptomatic HIV infection is ineligible for Medicaid until he or she has progressed to full-blown AIDS. Because HIV-positive individuals do not qualify for Medicaid, many are unable to obtain care and medicine to help slow the progression of HIV and prevent opportunistic infections.
This legislation would give states the option of covering low-income HIV-positive residents, allowing them access to medical treatment that could help prolong the length and quality of their lives. The Human Rights Campaign strongly supports this bill and will score congressional members on co-sponsorship in the next HRC congressional scorecard. For a listing of new co-sponsors of this measure, see the HRC-Supported Legislation: New Co-Sponsors story below.
Permanent Partners Immigration Act Reaches 100 Co-Sponsors
Introduced only two months ago, the Permanent Partners Immigration Act (PPIA, H.R. 832) has reached an important milestone with the addition of the 100th co-sponsor -- Rep. Jim Greenwood, R-Pa. PPIA, which would extend immigration benefits to the domestic partners of U.S. citizens, was introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., on Feb. 13 and has been the focus of lobbying efforts by HRC and the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force. The two groups have also worked with Loves Sees No Borders on educational efforts surrounding the legislation.
HRC will continue working to gain House co-sponsors for the bill and to get a Senate version introduced this session. HRC will count co-sponsorship on the scorecard for the 108th Congress.
HRC Comments on Long-Term Care Regulations
In an April 7 letter, HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg urged officials at the Office of Personnel Management to allow employees of the federal government to purchase long-term care insurances for their domestic partners. In September 2000, Congress passed and President Clinton signed P.L. 106-265, a measure that created a new benefit program for federal employees, including language allowing them to buy long-term health care insurance for themselves and qualified relatives at their own expense. The regulations authorize the Office of Personnel Management to offer coverage to a wide variety of family members. As currently drafted, however, it is unclear whether domestic partners would be considered qualified relatives.
Since the program's launch, HRC has been working with Federal GLOBE –- the group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees of the federal government -- to encourage OPM to write regulations that would allow federal employees to cover domestic partners under this program.
Unable to marry, same-sex couples are denied more than 1,000 rights and responsibilities under federal law, and an equally significant number under state laws. Because many of these rights are tax-related, the Human Rights Campaign used tax day to raise awareness about these issues. The following were among the organization's efforts:
The Latest on GLBT Parenting Laws
Recent court cases in Illinois, Missouri and Texas have important implications for GLBT parents. HRC FamilyNet offers detailed information on parenting laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For information, visit: www.hrc.org/familynet/parenting_laws.asp
HRC-Supported Legislation: New Co-Sponsors
The following is a list of new co-sponsors on HRC-supported bills.
H.R. 935 – The Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act
H.R. 832 – The Permanent Partners Immigration Act (PPIA)
H.R. 1430 – Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act
S. 847 - Early Treatment for HIV Act
Introduced in the Senate on April 9, this bill would allow states to expand Medicaid coverage to low- income individuals who are HIV-positive. Currently, people must be diagnosed with full-blown AIDS to access Medicaid, delaying much-needed early treatment that has been shown to greatly increase life expectancy and quality of life. The following senators were original co-sponsors.
More on HRC issues and legislation
New Mexico: Governor extends DP
benefits to state workers, signs civil rights and hate crimes bills
Members of New Mexico's GLBT community have reason to
celebrate. Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson signed an executive order April 8
that extends health insurance benefits to state employees' domestic partners.
The governor announced the order during a ceremony where he signed a bill that
bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Just two
days earlier, Richardson signed New Mexico's Hate Crimes Act, which sets
increased penalties for crimes motivated by the victim's sexual orientation and
gender identity, among other protected classes.
"Committed partners in committed relationships will no longer be treated differently than married couples," Richardson said as he announced the employee-benefits order. He told the audience that he had promised to extend employee benefits to unmarried couples during his HRC-endorsed campaign last fall, but felt there wasn't enough support for the issue to move a bill through the Legislature. The governor estimated that the executive order will affect about 300 state employees, and his staff said the cost of extending the benefits is predicted to be minimal.
HRC supported the lobbying efforts of the statewide advocacy group, the Coalition for Equality, through its Equality Fund grant program. In addition, hundreds of HRC supporters in New Mexico sent letters in favor of the bills to their state representatives and the governor. For more information, contact Jo Kenny at jokenny@comcast.net.
North
Dakota: Anti-GLBT Adoption Bill Passes Both Houses
Both
houses of the North Dakota Legislature passed Senate Bill 2188, a measure that
would allow adoption agencies to deny adoption and foster care rights based on
"religious or moral grounds." The bill, which now proceeds to the governor,
could have broad implications for GLBT individuals and couples. The measure
stipulates that such a denial of adoption rights would not constitute a
statement that such a placement is not in the best interests of the child. The
Senate passed the bill 45-2 on Jan. 28. It was then sent to the House where it
passed 72-18, with an amendment that states agencies that refuse adoption and
foster care rights based on religious or moral grounds must develop written
policies that outline their objections. The bill was also modified to remove
protection of the agencies from civil or criminal liability. In other words,
prospective parents who are denied placement could sue the agency. The Senate
passed the amended measure by a vote of 41-3.
HRC worked in partnership with Equality North Dakota and sent action alerts to its members in in the state urging them to contact their legislators in opposition to the bill.
Texas: Anti-Gay Marriage Bill
Passes Senate, New Anti-Gay Bill Threatens Gay Adoptions
The
Texas Senate gave final approval April 15 to Senate Bill 7, a measure that would
ban state recognition of same-sex civil unions or marriages entered into in
another state. Texas already prohibits the recognition of same-sex marriages.
The bill includes a provision that would allow gays and lesbians to continue to
receive life insurance proceeds and property from their partners "without the
existence of any legally recognized familial relationship."
"People talk about discrimination as though it were a bad thing. It is something we do all the time," said the bill's lead sponsor, Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, at the Senate Committee hearing on his so-called Defense of Marriage Act.
During the final voice vote, eight senators went on record against S.B. 7. Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, introduced the bill's House companion, H.B. 38, which has already been heard by the House Committee on State Affairs. The full House could vote on the measure as early as this week. Thousands of HRC supporters in Texas have sent messages to their state legislators through HRC's online Action Center in opposition to these bills.
The Texas House Committee on State Affairs has posted House Bill 1911, which would prevent unmarried individuals from serving as foster parents in Texas. If passed, the state would be required to remove all children, even those in long-term foster care, from families with any unmarried adult. A public hearing on the measure was scheduled for April 22. The bill was filed in March by Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, who is also the author of House Bill 194, a measure that would specifically deny gay, lesbian or bisexuals from serving as foster parents.
Washington: Port of Seattle Votes
Down Equal Benefits Proposal
The port of Seattle voted 3-1 on
April 8 against an equal benefits proposal offered last month by Commissioner
Lawrence Molloy. The proposal would have developed a rule requiring
companies that contract with the agency to provide domestic partners with the
same employee benefits offered to the spouses of married workers. The
policy was identical to one in the city of Seattle, which has required equal
benefits from contractors since 1999. The port has provided equal benefits to
its 1,649 employees since 1994. Seattle resident Heidi Schulz, a member of HRC's
board of governors, testified to the commission in favor of the equal benefits
proposal. According to port officials, nearly one-third of port employees are
ineligible for domestic partner benefits due to contracts with various labor
unions in which health benefits are managed by unions and employers other than
the port. At the hearing, officials vowed to deal with current obstacles
providing equal benefits to its employees.
And in Sports: Nowhere To Go but Up for HRC's Equalizers!
Each spring and summer, the HRC staff fields a softball team, the HRC Equalizers! This year, the Equalizers! have pledged to improve their 2002 record, which shouldn't be hard. All they have to do is win one game.
On April 14, HRC played its season opener on the National Mall against a team from Booz Allen Hamilton. The Equalizers! were up for most of the game –- a first for them -- thanks in part to Garland Auton, HRC's associate director of member services information, who hit a stunning triple in the fourth inning. Auton was the team MVP last year. The Equalizers! lost 12-15, but enjoyed the sweet possibility of victory while it lasted. Check this spot in future editions of Equality Update for HRC Equalizers! news and trivia.