Partner benefits
Partner benefits again an issue
While most local political candidates focus on issues such as traffic, crime and taxes, they also are being asked questions about what they think about domestic partner benefits.
In 1999, Broward County became one of the first local governments in Florida to extend domestic partner benefits to employees.
Seven years later, only a few cities in Broward have followed the county's lead.
Gay activists say it's time for elected city officials to offer benefits including healthcare insurance to the partners of their employees.
While in municipal races, most voters and candidates focus on issues such as traffic, crime and taxes, questions about stances on domestic partner benefits matter to some voters. Supporters say it is an important issue that gets to the heart of whether cities practice the diversity they preach.
''If any community is expecting to take the [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] community for granted, they are sadly mistaken,'' said Stephen Gaskill, a gay political consultant.
The cities of Hollywood, Miramar, Oakland Park and Wilton Manors provide domestic partner benefits. It's also likely that adding the benefits will be discussed in a few cities after the election, including Fort Lauderdale.
For the first time countywide, the Dolphin Democrats, a gay political club in Broward, has made domestic partner benefits for city workers an election issue. In a written questionnaire, the club, which has a membership of about 400, asked city candidates competing in the March 14 elections whether they would support offering domestic partner benefits to city workers.
''For me as a gay man, being able to access healthcare benefits is one of the most important problems we face these days,'' said Bill Vayens, who coordinated the survey for the Dolphin Democrats. ``Married couples can get benefits automatically. I say why not me?''
More than half the candidates in the nonpartisan races didn't respond to the questionnaire. Political consultants say that could mean they are avoiding the issue, simply got bombarded with surveys or, in the case of Republicans, didn't want to respond to a Democratic survey.
But of those who replied, a majority supported domestic partner benefits and other gay rights.
AN AID TO RECRUITING?
Domestic partners are generally defined as nonmarried couples in long-term committed relationships who live together. Domestic partner benefits allow employees' partners to get the same benefits as spouses, such as healthcare insurance.
Some employers who offer domestic partner benefits offer them only to gay couples, on the premise that straight couples have the option of getting married. Other employers offer the benefits to gay and straight couples.
Nationwide, about 130 city and county governments and 11 state governments offer health benefits to domestic partners, according to The Human Rights Campaign, a national gay civil rights organization. About half of Fortune 500 companies offer the health benefit, up from a handful in the early 1990s.
An increasing number of companies in South Florida have added domestic partner benefits since the 1990s.
Greg Baldwin, a partner at the law firm Holland & Knight, convinced his employer to add the benefits in 1995. Since then, The Miami Herald, Disney and other companies added some domestic partner benefits, he said.
Baldwin said offering the benefits helps to recruit workers.
'It tends to convince people when a firm says `we don't discriminate' they mean it,'' he said.
Broward County has long had a reputation for having a politically active gay community. A majority of the Wilton Manors City Commission is gay, and gay activists organized a get out the vote effort for John Kerry in 2004.
SHIFT IN FOCUS
The gay community celebrated when Broward County approved domestic partner registry and benefits for county workers in 1999. But since then, attention has turned to other issues such as fighting the state's ban on gay couples adopting.
Michael Albetta, president of the state GLBT Democratic Caucus, says he hopes the state will someday offer domestic partner benefits. But for now, support is more likely on the local level. ''We might as well start from the ground floor and go up,'' said Albetta, who also chairs the campaign committee for the Dolphin Democrats.
But candidates say few if any voters have asked them their stances on domestic partner benefits.
Bryan Caletka, a Davie candidate, doesn't expect to score points with many voters for his stances in favor of gay rights issues. But he says it's only fair that voters know his opinions.
''To be completely honest, I think it would hurt me given the religious nature of my constituents,'' he said.
The Dolphin Democrats posted candidates' questionnaires on their website. In some cases, the questionnaire answers -- or lack thereof -- may not tell the full story about whether candidates would push for benefits.
For example, the website lists Pembroke Pines candidate Ron Pacella as a ''total supporter'' who wrote he would be ''honored to receive the support of the GLBT community.'' But in an interview, Pacella said he didn't recall the questionnaire, had no opinion about domestic partner benefits and would need to study it. His opponent, Carl Shechter, who didn't complete the survey also said in an interview that he would need to study the issue.
Pembroke Pines City Commission recently approved a new firefighters contract that includes bereavement leave for domestic partners at the request of the union. Otherwise, the city doesn't offer domestic partner benefits.
''I'm finding more and more people are living together instead of getting married,'' said union President Tony Napolitano. ``They would be able to get the time off should something happen to their partner.''
Seven years later, only a few cities in Broward have followed the county's lead.
Gay activists say it's time for elected city officials to offer benefits including healthcare insurance to the partners of their employees.
While in municipal races, most voters and candidates focus on issues such as traffic, crime and taxes, questions about stances on domestic partner benefits matter to some voters. Supporters say it is an important issue that gets to the heart of whether cities practice the diversity they preach.
''If any community is expecting to take the [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] community for granted, they are sadly mistaken,'' said Stephen Gaskill, a gay political consultant.
The cities of Hollywood, Miramar, Oakland Park and Wilton Manors provide domestic partner benefits. It's also likely that adding the benefits will be discussed in a few cities after the election, including Fort Lauderdale.
For the first time countywide, the Dolphin Democrats, a gay political club in Broward, has made domestic partner benefits for city workers an election issue. In a written questionnaire, the club, which has a membership of about 400, asked city candidates competing in the March 14 elections whether they would support offering domestic partner benefits to city workers.
''For me as a gay man, being able to access healthcare benefits is one of the most important problems we face these days,'' said Bill Vayens, who coordinated the survey for the Dolphin Democrats. ``Married couples can get benefits automatically. I say why not me?''
More than half the candidates in the nonpartisan races didn't respond to the questionnaire. Political consultants say that could mean they are avoiding the issue, simply got bombarded with surveys or, in the case of Republicans, didn't want to respond to a Democratic survey.
But of those who replied, a majority supported domestic partner benefits and other gay rights.
AN AID TO RECRUITING?
Domestic partners are generally defined as nonmarried couples in long-term committed relationships who live together. Domestic partner benefits allow employees' partners to get the same benefits as spouses, such as healthcare insurance.
Some employers who offer domestic partner benefits offer them only to gay couples, on the premise that straight couples have the option of getting married. Other employers offer the benefits to gay and straight couples.
Nationwide, about 130 city and county governments and 11 state governments offer health benefits to domestic partners, according to The Human Rights Campaign, a national gay civil rights organization. About half of Fortune 500 companies offer the health benefit, up from a handful in the early 1990s.
An increasing number of companies in South Florida have added domestic partner benefits since the 1990s.
Greg Baldwin, a partner at the law firm Holland & Knight, convinced his employer to add the benefits in 1995. Since then, The Miami Herald, Disney and other companies added some domestic partner benefits, he said.
Baldwin said offering the benefits helps to recruit workers.
'It tends to convince people when a firm says `we don't discriminate' they mean it,'' he said.
Broward County has long had a reputation for having a politically active gay community. A majority of the Wilton Manors City Commission is gay, and gay activists organized a get out the vote effort for John Kerry in 2004.
SHIFT IN FOCUS
The gay community celebrated when Broward County approved domestic partner registry and benefits for county workers in 1999. But since then, attention has turned to other issues such as fighting the state's ban on gay couples adopting.
Michael Albetta, president of the state GLBT Democratic Caucus, says he hopes the state will someday offer domestic partner benefits. But for now, support is more likely on the local level. ''We might as well start from the ground floor and go up,'' said Albetta, who also chairs the campaign committee for the Dolphin Democrats.
But candidates say few if any voters have asked them their stances on domestic partner benefits.
Bryan Caletka, a Davie candidate, doesn't expect to score points with many voters for his stances in favor of gay rights issues. But he says it's only fair that voters know his opinions.
''To be completely honest, I think it would hurt me given the religious nature of my constituents,'' he said.
The Dolphin Democrats posted candidates' questionnaires on their website. In some cases, the questionnaire answers -- or lack thereof -- may not tell the full story about whether candidates would push for benefits.
For example, the website lists Pembroke Pines candidate Ron Pacella as a ''total supporter'' who wrote he would be ''honored to receive the support of the GLBT community.'' But in an interview, Pacella said he didn't recall the questionnaire, had no opinion about domestic partner benefits and would need to study it. His opponent, Carl Shechter, who didn't complete the survey also said in an interview that he would need to study the issue.
Pembroke Pines City Commission recently approved a new firefighters contract that includes bereavement leave for domestic partners at the request of the union. Otherwise, the city doesn't offer domestic partner benefits.
''I'm finding more and more people are living together instead of getting married,'' said union President Tony Napolitano. ``They would be able to get the time off should something happen to their partner.''
