Pets Yea, Gay Partners Nay
Last August the bosses, aka the Board of Trustees, at Florida’s Palm Beach Community College came to the conclusion that it was simply not appropriate to extend health care benefits to the domestic partners of its homo worker bees.
Despite the fact that it wouldn’t have cost the school one additional thin dime, and that many of the nation’s largest corporations, including other universities and colleges, offer health insurance for their employees’ same-sex better halves, it apparently just seemed wrong somehow, I guess. Proposal rejected. Coverage denied. Judgement against the defendants, case closed. Next!
Fast forward to the present. What a difference a few weeks makes! Now those same folks seem to finally be coming to their senses. No, that boy-worker’s life partner still won’t be granted co-pay-only status at the doc’s office. He’s still full price because he’s a he. Get real. But, to give the bigwigs credit for at least taking a step in the right direction, they have determined that anyone who works for the college … anyone, even the queers … will have the option to enroll their pets in the college’s healthcare plan!
Via payroll deduction the cost will hardly be noticeable, and you can rest assured that your loyal companion’s health care needs will be covered, come what may. As long as the dependant is of the four-legged variety, of course. You’re bipedal significant other, no matter how loyal, if genitally similar to yourself will still have to fend for him or her self, I suppose. SOL there.
But your dogs, cats, even hedgehogs, frogs, guinea pigs, geckos, iguanas and sugar gliders (they are cute, I have to admit) are eligible for coverage, and will be well taken care of if in need of medical attention. Well, that’s certainly a weight lifted from the shoulders, no doubt. Too bad about that boyfriend or girlfriend, though. Maybe if they spent more time on all fours? Okay, we won’t go there.
Deidre Newton, a PBCC alumnus who is now VP of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council called the decision an outrage. “While many pet owners consider their dogs and cats part of their families, there is a basic disconnect when an employer will insure an employee’s pet but not an employee’s partner.”
And Deidre’s boss, council president Rand Hoch, concurs. “The only distinction I can see is one covers human beings in committed relationships, and the other covers animals in committed relationships.”
I adore my dog. He is loyal, loving and certainly benefits-worthy. If I happened to be on the PBCC payroll, I’d probably say “sign me up!” On the other hand, I also adore my (imaginary) boyfriend and life-partner (fantasy name) Drake. He, too, is loyal, loving and you would think would also be benefits-worthy. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. He wouldn’t qualify for coverage, even though he does hump my leg from time to time (God, I have a vivid imagination!) I like being single, but it’s fun to pretend every now and then. And Drake never gets sick, so it’s probably a moot point anyway.
domestic partners, same sex partners, domestic partner benefits, gay rights, health care benefits
November 28th, 2007 at 4:27 am
[…] it hurt when you fell from heaven? by Adrien-Luc Sanders Since Doug over at Current Events Watch snitched the topic I’d intended to froth at the mouth over today (we apparently rank below animals, so I suppose there’s nothing wrong with acting like a […]
November 28th, 2007 at 6:48 am
Followed the above link here…
This is… quite something o_O
November 29th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Hey Doug,
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I posted a little something on there for you.
“I like being single, but it’s fun to pretend every now and then. And Drake never gets sick, so it’s probably a moot point anyway.”
LOL! Well at least you don’t have to try to get the tv remote from him or help him find his keys. They should invent GPS for inside your house.
November 30th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
[…] 451Press bloggers? Try “Keep Christmas Worries at Bay” from LifeTipsDaily.com or “Pets Yea, Gay Partners Nay” from […]
January 18th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Hello!
Nice site
Bye
January 19th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
my big sister works a pbcc. in HR n less. LOL
January 19th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Whoopsie, little navigator … no offense intended! Who knew?
January 20th, 2008 at 8:06 am
knowing my sister i’m sure she didn’t agree with the board’s decision.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:12 am
[…] more from 451Press bloggers? Try “Keep Christmas Worries at Bay” from LifeTipsDaily.com or “Pets Yea, Gay Partners Nay” from CurrentEventsWatch.com. WWII, World War II, Nazi, archive, Holocaust, International […]
April 14th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
If we give to many benefits to Gay marriages, it will encourage others to carry on in such a fashion….
I ask you, what if we we all gay? None of us would be here….
I’m certainly no fan of the family unit, or of denying gay people a voice, but seriously, we can’t have a gay universe….it only works for one or two generations before it dies out…
homosexuality has only become a social issue with the growth of the women’s rights movement….far too much sexuality is left to women….You’ve all heard the phrase “Girl’s choice”…?
Women got what they wanted….the sensitive new age guy….then found that a snag just wasn’t a man anymore…so now they’ve changed their minds and we all have to become cross dressing, environmentally aware, animal loving vegetarians just to please the women of the species…
No wonder people turn gay….
The women’s movement should SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN….All thier achieving is a “dumbing down” process, where males pander to the wants and needs of pushy girls who don’t want an intelligent “man” on their arm if they make her look stupid….unless he has plenty of money….
Modern women are SHALLOW CREATURES….No wonder the gay movement is gathering recruits.