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(Olympia, Washington) A heterosexual woman
says she is being unfairly treated because she and her partner are denied the
same health benefits same-sex couples enjoy, and she is using Washington state's
new LGBT provisions in the human rights law as the basis of her argument.
Amendments to the Human Rights Act went into
effect in June, adding sexual orientation to the list of categories were discrimination
is banned in, employment, insurance and credit. (story)
The changes were aimed at protecting the state's
LGBT community but Sandi Scott-Moore argues that sexual orientation covers
everyone.
Scott-Moore in her complaint to the Human Rights
Commission says that she was denied health insurance coverage for her
male partner by
Honeywell International.
The complaint says that when she applied for the
coverage she was told she was ineligible because she is not in a same-sex
relationship. Honeywell provides health coverage for the married partners and
the same-sex domestic partners of its workers but not to cohabitating
opposite-sex couples.
Honeywell denies that it discriminating, noting
that same-sex couples are unable to marry in the state while opposite-sex
couples can.
"We believe the claim filed with the Washington State Human Rights
Commission is without merit and plan to vigorously defend our position,"
Honeywell spokesperson Robert Ferris told the Associated Press in a statement.
The Human Rights Commission is taking up Scott-Moore's
complaint and an investigation has begun - one of four since the law went into
effect. But the commission is treading cautiously.
"We have to proceed very, very cautiously because we could be creating
new policy for employers and other entities in the state," director Marc Brenman
told the AP.
Brenman said the commission will hear from state pension and insurance regulators and
businesses leaders before issuing a ruling.
©365Gay.com 2006
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