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 Houston: City Council Debates Unmarried Partner-Benefits San Francisco: Chevron Corp's Lesbian/Gay Inclusive Ad |
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Compiled By GayToday
From Human Rights Campaign Reports
A new bill was introduced Jan. 22 in Maryland, where Gov. Parris Glendening continues to strongly support civil rights legislation covering sexual orientation. The state's Senate Judiciary Committee killed a similar proposal two years ago. In Montana, the Senate Judiciary Committee considering civil rights legislation took the unusual step of accepting anonymous testimony from a man who lost his job in December when coworkers found out he is bisexual. Committee Chairman Lorents Grosfield, a Republican, ordered the committee's tape recorder shut off while a representative of the Montana Human Rights Network read the testimony. Houston: City Council Debates Unmarried Partner-Benefits
The committee, which has existed for more than a decade, is comprised of representatives of each city department and a council member. Councilwoman Annise Parker, a committee member, said she believes the council needs to consider the issue. Mayor Lee Brown, who promised during his 1997 campaign to consider the issue, said the city should move ahead when a consensus is reached. "There are a number of people who want to see this happen and are working on it," he said. "What I'm waiting for is when we have a consensus San Francisco: Chevron Corp's Lesbian/Gay Inclusive Ad
Employee networks offer a place for groups of employees to be together with common goals that are aligned with their companies' strategies and values — things that are important to us all because we live here. It's our home." The ad began airing on Fox-affiliated KTVU in December. The station, which sells considerable advertising airtime to Chevron, offered several PSA slots to the firm as a bonus, company spokesman David McMurry told gfn.com. McMurry, an 18-year Chevron employee, created the ad and is a member of the firm's gay and lesbian employees' group. Chevron, which is based in San Francisco, amended its non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation in 1993. In 1997, it became the first oil company to provide domestic partner benefits for same-sex partners. Chevron operates approximately 8,000 gas stations and has 40,000 employees. "It's easy to dismiss these things because the company is located in California," said Kirk Nass, who works in the firm's research department and is co-chair of the gay employees' group. "But when I saw the ad, I was completely blown away." "Diversity is something this company believes in all the way up to the CEO and he has set an example for his managers," said McMurry. "A company can't afford not to be welcoming," added Nass. "It's something business in general is starting to get the point on." The PSA could be used in internal recruiting kits in the future, according to Nass. 
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