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Loading ...Tampa Area city council vetoes gay partner benefits
01.23.2009 11:21am EST
(Tampa, Florida) A proposal that could have led to health benefits for the domestic partners of Hillsborough County employees has been flatly rejected.
Openly gay commissioner Kevin Beckner proposed a motion calling for a study into the feasibility of the benefits. Beckner, who was elected in November, said he proposed the idea now because the county is in the process of taking bids for employee health insurance. That process happens only once every four years.Beckner is the first openly gay politician to win office in the conservative county; during the campaign pledged he would not use the office to advocate for LGBT issues.
When he proposed the benefits plan, some in his district accused him of breaking that pledge.
In 2005, Hillsborough County made national headlines when commissioners passed an ordinance barring the county government from any acknowledgment of Gay Pride, and a second ordinance making it virtually impossible to repeal the first one.
While LGBT pride observances were not banned in the county, the ordinances blocked the government from any involvement, support or promotion.
Beckner’s benefits proposal would have covered same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex couples. It was defeated on a 5-2 vote.
Before the vote, Beckner told commissioners that he hoped acceptance of the plan would show that the county had become more inclusive.
“By making this small policy change”, he said, “we will send a message to the world that we are evolving into a more inclusive community,” he said.
But Commissioner Jim Norman accused Beckner of trying to blur the distinction between marriage and gay unions.
“I believe that family benefits should be between a husband and wife,” Norman said. “You draw the line somewhere and that’s where I draw the line.”
One commissioner said the proposal would be economically crippling.
“We’re simply not in a financial position to increase benefits at this time,” said Commissioner Ken Hagan.
Please correct this to show that it was the Hillsborough County Commission, not the Tampa City Council. Tampa City Council is not as close-minded and hypocrtical as the rednecks on the county commission.
O K TAMPA GAYS !! GET PISSED ! AND GET OUT THERE AND RAISE SOME NOISE !!LET THOSE BIGOTS KNOW YOU ARE A TAX PAYING CITIZEN AND THAT THEY REPRESENT YOU TOO !!
I was looking for a place to take a vacation in the near future, and i had even considered gulf coast FLA, but this decision makes me rethink my position. I’m not going to spend my dollars where I’m not welcome.
Florida is a knuckle dragging state at best, but places like Tampa are even worse.I have been here (not by choice) for 3 years and hate it. There are so many red necks here. As soon as I can it’s back to Calif.
I think come April of this year or next, after organization, we (LGBT) need to come together and just NOT pay taxes, lets have a walk out on paying/filing taxes.
They can put us all in jail or they can get the msg. that we don’t want to pay more taxes to a society that uses our money only to hurt and to disclude us!
I’ll second Randyl’s invitation. We’re blue down here in Sarasota and its a lovely town as well. We have one of the best beaches in the country and culture to rival a much bigger city. In fact WE don’t even go to Tampa.
Thank you for paying your taxes and contributing to society, but we’d rather not extend any of the benefits of society to you.
This does not surprise those of us who live near Tampa. Come down to Sarasota,we have a non/discrimation policy!
Time to boycott Tampa’s Gasparilla Festival.
Bud Burgoon-Clark
former Floridian
escaped Aug. 1962
and never went back
P.S. – my best friend committed suicide during the Fla. Leglature’s Johns Committee anti-gay witch hunt.
Agreed..I will NEVER go to Tampa..or Florida as of right now….Screw Miami,Disney World etc….
I cannot understand why gay tourists go to places like Tampa. They have made it abundantly clear that they are not gay friendly. Let them do without gay dollars during the depression.
I was kidding about the fake marriages. But that is what that hateful city deserves…
Tom in Long Beach
Yeah Right, giving the perhaps 10% of the city employees the same rights as everybody else should not be ecomically crippling. Perhaps some gay male city employees should “marry” the partners of
city employee lesbians so they can get the benifits that should be theirs. And vice versa.
Tom in Long Beach
(who is lucky to get domestic partner benifits through county of Los Angeles).
I did not know how fortunate I was until I started reading here after the passing of prop H8.
“I believe that family benefits should be between a husband and wife,” Norman said. “You draw the line somewhere and that’s where I draw the line.”
I am appauled at the fact that governmental agency members are allowed to let their personal beliefs dictate who’s partners get what benefits. Just because I can’t legally marry my wife should not mean that she does not qualify for my benefits. The benefits are there to be used by the employee and their spouses. Not wanting to marry a man should not take away these additional benefits that are rightfully mine to use! This is outrageous and the Federal government must do something to prevent the accepted discrimination in this country against gay families. We need to march on Washington! We need to flood the courts with each and every wrong committed against our community. Where’s the anger people? Why are we so OK with doing nothing when so many of us along with our straight allies are ready to fight? We must harness this energy and put it to good use before we go back to doing nothing and being OK with it! I don’t want to be OK with second class citizenship anymore. I’m mad as hell and I don’t want to take it anymore! Thanks for letting me vent.
Not in a financial position to extend benefits to non-married partners, but definitely in a position to take their taxes, and then some. Taxation without representation is discrimination and must be stopped. Equal benefits for Equal contributors.