Greensboro ‘07 - The LGBT Vote; candidates respond to domestic partner benefits issue
My lovely little adopted home city of Greensboro, NC, is having their municipal elections this November.
The candidates for City Council had a forum the other night with Greensboro’s Neighborhood Congress and conservative home-town blogger Joe Guarino, a person with whom I’ve had plenty of ideological disagreements, put together a short candidate questionnaire for his benefit and the benefit of his blog and readers.
Among the questions asked was whether or not the candidates supported domestic partner benefits for city employees.
The question, as it was posed by Guarino: Do you support same-sex domestic partner benefits for city employees?
I don’t know exactly why Guarino included the question, seeing as though the issue has pretty much already been laid to rest. The City Manager had the city’s health insurance policies updated to include same-sex domestic partners of city employees starting January 1, 2007. The City of Greensboro employment codes prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
A total of five candidates have responded to Guarino’s questionnaire, and the answers to his domestic partner benefit question wasn’t as good as I would have hoped.
Here are the candidates, with their district and their responses to the the domestic partner question (Links take you to the full responses the questionnaire at Guarino’s site):
At Large:
Robbie Perkins - A simple “Yes.” was Perkins’ response.
Kevin Green - Green didn’t give his personal opinion here, but rather responded with fact: “I understand that the city has a policy in place already addressing this issue.”
District 2
Lance Jones - A simple “No.” was Jones’ response.
District 3
Joe Wilson - Wilson gave a long response, but his answer is a flat out No: “NO, I think unmarried people have to take responsibility for their partners through wills and insurance policies. I don’t see where “same-sex” has anything to do with it . If you give benefits to domestic partners it shouldn’t matter what their gender make-up is. The law in N.C. doesn’t view any domestic partnership as a valid union. I tried to discover what the current policy is before answering this question and couldn’t get a single city employee to discuss it with me, this also will change when I am elected.” There are lots of issues in his answer here that I just don’t think he understands, such as the fact that same-sex couples can’t get married, it is unfair to force them to get wills and insurance policies and other legal documents when opposite-sex couples need only apply for marriage license and pay a small fee for the whole boat, and complex wills and other legal documents (which may or may not always be recognized legally after one or more of the individuals in the couple pass away) are super-expensive and definitely out of the price range of most working class people.
District 5
Angela Carmichael - Carmichael’s response was basically a No, and an unrealistic one that ignores the reality of life and this world and the situation many working class LGBT people find themselves in. Also, similar to Wilson’s response, I don’t think Carmichael understands the various issues involved in this discussion: “The only way I will support same sex domestic partners receiving benefits for city employees is if they work for the city along with their same sex domestic partner.“
I’d like, perhaps, to see Jones, Wilson and Carmichael sit down and discuss these various issues and the larger issue of LGBT equality with LGBT folks who live, work, learn and contribute to the larger community right here in Greensboro. I know I’d be glad to sit down with them and I know many other folks who have more than enough knowledge on the subject; more than me.
I understand they may have personal positions on the issue, but as folks seeking to gain elected office in order to represent a large, diverse group of people (which certainly include LGBT people), I’d like to see if they’d even be willing to sit down with LGBT citizens and community members who might just be their future constituents if they are elected.
I’m not willing to totally write them off for this election based just on one issue. I’ll be emailing them and few other folks to see if we can schedule a sit-down.
Perhaps Guilford Green Foundation can sponsor an City Council/Mayor candidates’ forum to address LGBT and diversity issues in the city and the election?
Oh… and one last musing: I wonder if any of the City Council or Mayoral candidates will be popping in to make an appearance at Triad Pride?
Previous InterstateQ.com posts on the issue:
- Greensboro to move on domestic partnerships, Aug 2 2006
- More on Greensboro & domestic partnerships, Aug 3 2006
Technorati Tags: Greensboro, Guilford, North Carolina, election, city council, 2007, Joe Guarino
About the Author: Matt
4 Responses to “Greensboro ‘07 - The LGBT Vote; candidates respond to domestic partner benefits issue”
Matt,I am interested in discussing this matter with all concerned but, I still feel there is inequality in the program .I spoke with the Mayor today and he explained that it was totally Mitchell Johnson’s decision. The Mayor saw my point about not offering it to heterosexuals as appearing to discriminate. To the current City Council they saw it as a budget item and as such,having minimal effect on the bottom line it didn’t get much thought .I would welcome your opinion but, I have heard excerpts of the report the City Manager used to institute the policy and I think my views are correct. The program is in place and a small percentage of city employees are getting the benefit. so in my opinion the whole thing is a non-issue. I was just asked a question and I gave my honest opinion , Had I known it was already city policy I could have have copped out like the panderers who said ” yes ” , it’s just not my way.I was blessed(cursed?) to speak my mind on the issues and I think people are ready for the truth . Remember I said “same-sex has nothing to do with it”. The City Council has once again set itself up for a discrimination lawsuit by not taking command of it’s responsibilities and letting the City Manager’s office dictate policy.Please feel free to contact me in this matter although there is not a thing you or I can do about it currently.
By joe wilson on Aug 18, 2007
Thanks for your honesty Joe. I appreciate that you’d be willing to discuss the issues. I hope that you will attend if the Guilford Green Foundation or another group like Triad Equality Alliance actually plans a candidates forum (Disclosure: I’m on the Board of Directors of Guilford Green and I’ve already spoken to the Exec Dir about the possibility of a forum).
You said: “..there is not a thing you or I can do about it currently.”
You are correct and I don’t think anything should be done, if that “thing to be done” is, in fact, taking away the domestic partner benefits. I don’t see a problem with expanding them to cover non-married heterosexuals, but the argument that heterosexuals are being discriminated against is a lame one at best and an extremely prejudiced one at worst. I’d like to explain more on this topic in person if we ever meet (which I’m counting on).
Thanks for your comments, your honesty and your openness.
By Matt on Aug 18, 2007