Gay UF employees gain
health insurance
for partners
RON WORD, AP
bradenton.com from the Web, December 2, 2005
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The
University of Florida's gay and lesbian employees will receive health insurance
benefits for their domestic partners under a measure approved Friday by the
school's Board of Trustees.
The vote was 12-1 making UF the state's only public university to approve such a
policy, which also covers partners of unmarried straight couples. Married
employees have long been able to insure their spouses.
UF President Bernie Machen said he thought the measure would be important for
both recruiting and keeping faculty members.
"This is not just about the people who need this benefit. This is also
about people who consider the benefit a statement of the climate of the campus
where they are going to work," Machen said.
Machen said two faculty members left Florida because it did not have such a
policy.
Texas businessman Al Warrington, the only trustee to vote against the proposal,
called it "immoral, unethical and clearly non-scriptural. It's an
abomination."
Warrington, a huge donor to the school, said plans to use University of Florida
Foundation funds to pay for the program, estimated to cost between $500,000 to
$1 million a year, could cut contributions to the school.
"As one donor, I would be offended if my money went to fund the program,"
Warrington said. The university's school of business is named after him.
"I think it could be a real negative. It is for me and it could be for
others and I am a very significant donor."
Kyle Cavanaugh, UF's vice president of human resources who started similar
programs at Rice and Vanderbilt universities, said about 300 universities and
colleges nationally offer such benefits. Those wanting to participate in
the program, which begins Feb. 1, will have to sign an affidavit requesting the
benefit and be able to prove they are in a committed relationship. Like
married couples, they will have to pay a portion of the premium.
"Primarily, the issue is one of national competitiveness," he said. "We
are trying to be as competitive as possible on the national scene."
A similar measure was tabled by the trustees in June 2003, said Steve Orlando, a
university spokesman.
At Friday's meeting, there was no mention of a letter by state Rep. Larry Cretul,
R-Ocala, who asked the trustees to turn down the proposal. Cretul did not
attend the meeting.
Cretul plans to introduce a bill prohibiting the use of taxpayer money for
extending benefits to domestic partners.
"This proposed change is very troubling to me, many of my colleagues in the
Legislature, and to the vast majority of taxpayers in the state of Florida," his
letter said.
An official with a national gay rights group applauded the vote.
"It's wonderful to see the University of Florida to take a leadership role,
stepping out and doing the right thing," said Karen Doering, regional counsel
for the National Center for Lesbian Rights in Tampa.
"This will help them attract and retain the best candidates and the best and
brightest students," she said.
About 295 colleges and universities offer domestic partner benefits, but
approximately half are private institutions -- including the University of
Miami, Stetson University and Rollins College in Florida. Three Florida
community colleges also offer domestic partner benefits.
Of the country's top 10 universities as ranked by U.S. News & World Report
magazine, five offer domestic partner benefits and five do not, according to The
Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay and lesbian civil rights group.
UF has about 49,000 students and 12,000 faculty and staff members.
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