Tampa Bay Coalition
Eye on GLBT Domestic Parners, Equal Benefits,
Protections & Rights News  Archives 2003
 
~ National ~
 
June 2003
 
Barney Frank Files Domestic Partner Bill
June 11: Congressman Barney Frank and Senator Mark Dayton filed legislation to recognize
domestic partnerships within the Federal Government workforce. The bills jointly introduced in
the House and Senate, entitled Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2003, the
same or opposite sex domestic partner of a federal employee would be eligible for the same
benefits as the spouse of a federal employee. The benefits covered by the bill include retirement
benefits, life insurance, health insurance, and compensation for work injuries. The lawmakers had
filed similar legislation in the last Congress.
 
Petition Would Cancel Gay Rights Law
June 7: A New Mexico conservative group with the private backing of state Republicans has begun collecting names on a petition to force a referendum revoking the state's gay civil rights laws. The
petition drive has not been endorsed by The New Mexico Republican Party, which has yet to address
the issue, but privately members of the GOP are supporting the move. The referendum petition is
officially being organized by a private citizen, Pam Wolfe of Las Cruces. But Wolfe is in reality a paid spokesperson for state Senate Republicans. 
Related Articles
May 5 : Bid Launched To Repeal New Mexico Gay Rights Law
April 9: New Mexico Gov Signs Two Gay Bills.
 
Assembly OKs Expanding Partners' Rights
June 5: The state Assembly approved legislation giving significant new rights to domestic partners,
moving California closer to giving gay couples much of the same legal recognition as married couples.
The vote came after a lengthy debate in which the Legislature's gay and lesbian caucus -- backed by
dozens of straight Democratic lawmakers -- delivered passionate pleas for equal rights.
 
Council Wants Moratorium on Benefits for Domestic Partners
June 4: After a feisty discussion that underscored a political power struggle and drew charges of homophobia, Lexington's city council voted to seize control of Mayor Teresa Isaac's new policy that
offers health benefits to domestic partners of government workers. In a 11-4 vote, the council took
the first step in placing a moratorium until October on domestic partner benefits, which would include coverage for same-sex and opposite-sex couples. But, Isaac maintains confidence of her legal
authority to change the health plan without council action.
 
Lexington Kentucky Mayor Approves Domestic Partner Benefits
June 3: Under changes made by Lexington Mayor Teresa Isaac in the city's health care plan, domestic partners of city employees will receive health insurance coverage starting July 1. The new benefits have evoked applause from Lexington's gay and lesbian community, but the changes have angered some
Urban County Council members, who said the mayor never notified them of her plans.
 
May 2003
 
Members Of Congress Pressed To Sign Gender Pledge
May 5: Members of Congress are being asked to sign pledges they will not discriminate in
employment practices based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
For the past several years, the largest gay rights group in the US, Human Rights Campaign,
has asked members of Congress to sign statements prohibiting discrimination based on
sexual orientation, but this is the first time that gender identity and expression have been
included in a single statement.
 
Gay and Race Issues Preoccupy Court
May 2: Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, speaking before an educational forum
in Washington, said legal cases involving the rights and treatment of gay Americans are on the
rise and suggest a major new focus for the nation's courts in the 21st century. Asked to predict
what issue might define the work of the Supreme Court in the 21st century, O'Connor said cases
"relating to how homosexuals are treated legally" are one possibility. "We see a lot of these," she said.
 
Hate-Crime Bill Back In Congress
May 2: Hate-crime legislation to protect gays and lesbians that was allowed to die in the last
Congress has been reintroduced. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA),
allowing the federal government greater leverage in providing assistance for the investigation
and the prosecution of hate crimes. The legislation has 49 co-sponsors in the Senate, and is
endorsed by 175 law enforcement, civil rights, civic and religious organizations, National Sheriffs'
Association. the International Association of Chiefs of Police, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Federal
Law Enforcement Officers Association and others.
 
Suit Challenges Nebraska's Ban on Benefits for Gay State Employees' Partners
May 1: Nebraska's unique constitutional ban on same-sex marriages was challenged by federal
court lawsuit that says the measure violates the rights of gay couples. The constitutional amendment,
adopted in 2000 after approval by 70 percent of voters, prevents homosexuals who work for the state
or the University of Nebraska system from sharing health insurance and other benefits with their partners.
 
April 2003
 
Campaign Targets City's Gay-Rights Vote
April 29: Citizens for Community Values, an Ohio conservatives wage an all-out crusade to stop a
proposed law to protect homosexuals from discrimination. The conservative activist group, has a
national reputation for crusading against "adult" businesses. But, in Covington, Kentucky, they have
a different target: a proposed law to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in housing,
employment and public accommodation, such as restaurants and hotels. The City Council is scheduled
to vote on the ordinance and it seems likely to pass. Yet that hasn't stopped the activists from waging
an all-out, and often, controversial, campaign to stop it.
 
Kansas City Mulls Domestic Partner Registry
April 26: Kansas City could have a domestic partner registry in place in a year's time. The resolution
also would see the city offering health benefits the partners of its gay and lesbian workers. The city
council voted unanimously to instruct City Manager Wayne Cauthen to implement the program by
May 1, 2004 and directs Cauthen to provide, within 45 days, a plan discussing the logistics and costs involved in providing the benefits. It would make Kansas City the most gay friendly city in the Mid West.
 
End Run Attempt On Florida Gay Rights
April 25: Conservative Republicans and right wing Christian groups in Florida found a new way of attacking gay rights laws passed by local municipalities: Tack on amendments to bills before the legislature to override the local ordinances. The first attempt at sneaking through such an amendment came as a House committee was examining an otherwise benign civil rights bill. And, it might have worked, except for the eagle eye of Rep. Bob Henriquez, a Tampa Democrat.
 
GOPs Say That The Democrats' Support of Gay Rights Could Backfire
April 25: Supporters of Howard Dean's presidential campaign, on April 25th, will celebrate the third anniversary of his signing of the nation's only law giving gay partners the same legal rights as married couples. The loudest cheering, though, might come from the Republicans, who say strong support for gays will backfire in the general election and help President Bush win more conservative and southern states.
Presidential Hopeful Howard Dean Rallies Gay Support
April 3: Howard Dean, former Vermont governor, is well-known within the national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community for having signed that state's civil unions bill into law. Dean said, "I believe the federal government should recognize civil unions. And that 'Don't ask Don't tell,' is a failed policy. Many gay and lesbian people are serving in the United States military already, Dean adds, "and to prevent them from saying that they are is insane.
 
Win In Peoria, Loss In Colorado Springs
April 24: Good news for gays and lesbians in one city, but, rejection in another. Peoria, Illinois city council has voted, 8 - 3, to amend its Human Rights ordinance to include sexuality. But the city council in Colorado Springs, Colorado, voted 8 - 1 to repeal same-sex partner benefits for city workers.
 
North Carolina Hears Plea For Gay Workers
April 24: A North Carolina man told a House committee that he could lose his civil service job for supporting legislation that would ban the firing of state employees because they are gay or lesbian. Troy Page, who is employed at the Administrative Office of the Courts, said the head of his agency, N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly Lake, would probably fire him once he found out the employee was gay.
 
J.C. Penney, FedEx to Add Sexual Orientation to Nondiscrimination Policies
April 23: The board of directors of J.C. Penney Inc. has endorsed a shareholder resolution to include sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy. The Board said it will support the resolution when shareholders vote on the measure at J.C. Penney's annual meeting. The FedEx Corp. formerly Federal Express agreed to to amend its nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation. Ken Scott, the manager at Walden Asset Management, said conversations with FedEx have been ongoing for more than two years, in an effort to have the company explicitly include sexual orientation in their written nondiscrimination policy.
 
Illinois Gay Rights Bill Stalls
April 11: Hopes that a Democratic controlled Senate would pass civil rights protections for gays and lesbians are dissipating. Legislation to add "sexual orientation" to the state's anti- discrimination law has several times in the few years passed the Democratic controlled House but continually died in the Republican controlled Senate. Now that Democrats control the Senate, too, it was generally believed the measure was guaranteed passage. But the original April 9 deadline for holding a vote came and went without action.
 
Erie County Civil Rights Ordinance May Be Rendered Useless
April 11: County Executive Rick Schenker who opposed a gay and transgender-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance when it passed last year now has a proposal that would essentially void the measure. Schenker, who was a past president of PA Christian Coalition called homosexuality a "demented and depraved lifestyle," wants to disband the county's Human Relations Commission, the body that enforces the ordinance.
 
New Mexico Gov Signs Two Gay Bills
April 9: New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has signed two pieces of legislation that will have
a profound effect on the lives of the state's LGBT community. The first adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the New Mexico Hate Crimes law. Second broadens the state's Human Rights Act to cover sexual orientation and gender identity. Both bills take effect July 1. The hate crimes law allows a judge to give extra prison time to an offender whose crimes are determined by a court to have been motivated by hate.
 
Legislatures Warming to Gay Rights
April 8: In New Mexico, the cultural crossroads that mixes the pueblos and high-tech companies is becoming the 14th state to ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation. The desert is finally blooming for gay New Mexicans, who've sowed seeds for a dozen years. GLBT's helped elect a gay-friendly governor, Democrat Bill Richardson. New Mexico's victories come as many legislatures are turning their attention to those of us who are gay. With much positive activity: Seven states are weighing bills to give gay couples the state-level rights and responsibilities of marriage, without using the word "marriage."
 
Lieberman Says He Will Push Bill Extending Benefits to Gay Federal Employees
April 1: The Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Lieberman said he will work for congressional passage of a bill that would extend benefits to partners of gay federal employees. In a speech at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, he said the legislation would give domestic partners the same benefits available to spouses of federal employees, including life and health insurance, retirement pay, and compensation for on-the-job injuries. ~ Two News Articles ~
Senator Joe Lieberman Press Release
Lieberman: Faith, Common Values Must Continue To Be Allies in America's Unfinished March of Social Progress Calls for New Measures to Fight Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians. Includes the Full Text of Speech, Remarks on Gays and Lesbians.
 
March 2003
 
Domestic Partner Rights Bills Proceed in California Legislature
March 31: Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act and a bill that prohibits state agencies from contracting with businesses that discriminate in benefits that are offered between employees with spouses and employees with registered domestic partners, are set for their first committee hearings.
 
Colorado House Removes Healthcare Protections For Gays
Mar 28: Colorado state representatives removed provisions that protected gays and lesbians from discrimination by health care workers. They have amended the Medical Services Board rules to
 
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