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Loading ...New LGBT equality laws go into effect in Calif.
01.05.2009 3:57pm EST
(Sacramento, California) Three new laws broadening protections for California’s LGBT community have gone into effect. The laws protect seniors in assisted living and young people in schools and foster care.
“We begin the New Year knowing that all LGBT people, including youth and seniors, have better protections and rights than ever before,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. EQCA pushed for passage of all three bills.“The new laws provide important protections for members of our community and reinforce our state’s commitment to treat all people with respect and dignity under the law, regardless of their differences.”
The Foster Youth School Safety Education Act helps protect foster youth against harassment and discrimination at school. The new law educates foster care youth and their caregivers about existing California laws that protect students against bias. It was authored by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D) and supported by the National Association of Social Workers and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
The second new law will help prevent bias in senior care facilities and nursing homes. Authored by former Sen. Carole Migden (D) it requires licensed healthcare professionals who have constant interaction with seniors to participate in a training program that focuses on preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Many health professionals already receive cultural diversity training, but it does not include information and education about LGBT issues.
Basic rights, such as the choice to live in the same nursing home with a partner and the right to hospital visitation are routinely denied to same-gender couples in older age, according to a 2000 study from the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
The study also found that same-gender partners lack essential protections, including Medicaid benefits and access to pensions, which typically protect the homes and retirement funds of surviving spouses who are married.
The third law is the Civil Rights Act of 2008. It strengthens existing law to ensure protections based on gender, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, marital status and sexual orientation.
The law clarifies sections of law that prohibit discrimination in insurance and government services and activities. In addition to support from EQCA, it was endorsed by the California State Conference of the NAACP.
The new session of the Assembly sees three members of the Legislature’s LGBT Caucus heading key committees. Sen. Christine Kehoe has been appointed chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sen. Mark Leno will head the Senate’s Public Safety Committee, and Assemblymember John A. Perez is chairing the Assembly Democratic Caucus.
The LGBT caucus also includes freshman Assemblymember Tom Ammiano. All four are Democrats.
You know, this is the second article that I’ve seen (today) using this unreadable font. My eyes are pretty darn good and it’s hard for me to read. How about some sensitivity for readers that would not be able to read that story.
I read this article and after Nov. 4 I can only say, “I love the smell of irony in the morning.”
Had to copy and paste this article into Word in order to read it. I knew my eyesight wasn’t the greatest but I had never had problems reading your articles before.
So does this mean Domestic Partnerships are going to be taught to children in schools now?
“The third law is the Civil Rights Act of 2008. It strengthens existing law to ensure protections based on gender, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, marital status and sexual orientation. ”
How come domestic partnership is not part of this since marital status is? Since marital status is and domestic partnerships are suppose to be equal to marriage, why is it not included?
Don’t people have to be living together or have a place of cohabitation to have a domestic partnership whereas couples seeking marriage don’t?
My boyfriend and I live seperately right now so doesn’t that mean we can’t get a domestic partnership? Whereas a straight couple not living together can still get married and have it’s protections/benefits..
And In Virginia:
By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade | Jan 6, 12:28 PM
A Republican in the Virginia House of Delegates is sponsoring a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would allow Virginia companies to provide life insurance to partners of gay employees, according to the General Assembly’s web site.
Del. Tom Rust (R-Fairfax) filed the bill, H.B. 1726, on Tuesday. The legislation has yet to be assigned to any committee within the state House.
The bill “allows coverage under a group life insurance policy to be extended to insure any class of persons as may mutually be agreed upon by the insurer and the group policyholder.”
Virginia law currently restricts supplemental life insurance coverage to legal spouses and dependent children under 19 or 25 if the child is a full-time student.
Del. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), the only openly gay member of the Virginia General Assembly, last year introduced a similar bill that would have allowed companies to provide life insurance to the partners of gay employees, but the measure failed in subcommittee.