 |
New
York Mayor
Rudy
Giuliani
|
HRC Praises
Unprecedented Domestic Partnership Benefits Plan
Log Cabin Republicans See Proof
of Republican Flexibility
Compiled by
Badpuppy’s GayToday
From an Human
Rights Campaign Report
|
Legislation proposed by New
York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to extend many of the benefits enjoyed
by married couples to domestic partners is a model of fairness that
should be emulated around the nation, according to the Human Rights
Campaign, the nation's largest gay political organization.
"This bill will move New
York's lesbian and gay city workers closer to the goal of equal pay for
equal work -- giving them the same benefits married heterosexual
city workers take for granted," said Education Director Kim I. Mills,
who oversees workplace issues at HRC. "We applaud Mayor Giuliani for taking
this important step toward acknowledging that our relationships are significant
and deserve recognition." Giuliani's proposal fulfills a campaign
promise he made to gay rights advocates last year, three weeks before the
election. This sweeping proposal places New York City in the forefront
of equality for domestic partner benefits, according to HRC.
"Mayor Giuliani has demonstrated
that he is a not just a politician, but a leader who keeps his word. He
has gone beyond election rhetoric, and shown that he genuinely cares about
the real issues facing many of his constituents," Mills added.
The proposal applies to both
gay and heterosexual domestic partners registered with the city clerk.
If the bill is enacted, domestic partners would have access to bereavement
leave and visitation rights in city-owned hospitals. The city would also
be required to allow domestic partners to continue as tenants in apartments
leased to their partners and insuring their rights to be buried together
in a city owned cemetery.
 Additionally,
domestic partners would receive the same rights as legal spouses under
the city's future collective bargaining agreements and would allow
the mayor to provide "good Samaritan" awards to the domestic partners
of uniformed city employees who are killed in the line of duty.
The City Council is expected
to pass the proposal. According to city statistics, 8,700 unmarried couples
have registered with the city clerk's office since 1992, with more than
55 percent heterosexual. HRC credited the hard work of the Empire State
Pride Agenda, New York's statewide gay organization, for bringing this
measure about.
"The activists in New York
are trail blazers, helping to create a new paradigm for domestic partnership
legislation that cities around the nation can follow. New York City
has become a model for local leadership in our community and we owe them
our thanks for their efforts," according to HRC National Field Director
Donna Red Wing.
The Log Cabin Republicans,
a gay and lesbian political organization, hailed Mayor Giuliani’s announcement
as proof of Republican flexibility. Its national office released
a statement that said: “ Five years after Log Cabin Republicans first endorsed
Mayor Giuliani in 1993, even after much criticism from gay and lesbian
activists, our involvement and education of Republicans has again delivered
for the greater good of the gay and lesbian community. Mayor Giuliani’s
administration has worked closely with Log Cabin and earned our endorsement
for his beliefs and integrity on gay and lesbian issues which ultimately
resulted in his support and introduction of historic domestic partnership
legislation.”
"The fact that such legislation
required a Republican, in a democratically controlled city, to offer this
legislation provides vindication of Log Cabin Republicans," said Northeast
Regional Director Michael S. Aronowitz. "In our short history we've consistently
been attacked by the liberal left of our own community and the radical
right of our political party. Despite this, Log Cabin has educated and
augmented the leadership role of key Republicans across the country."
E-Mail
the Mayor: Rudolph
Giuliani |
