Gay Activists Refuse to Bargain Away Rights

From WaPo:

Dozens of prominent advocates for gay rights sent a letter to every member of Congress yesterday stating that they would reject any plan to bargain for equal rights, and specifically decried a report that the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay political organization, was planning to "moderate" its positions and would possibly support President Bush's plan to create private Social Security accounts.

Read the full letter on the Task Force website. It's great:

The powerful and revealing fact is that that over 60% of voters in November 2 exit polls said they supported either marriage or civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. What remarkable progress we have made over these last years.

The New York Times today reported that some in the LGBT community are ready to pull back on our struggle for freedom to make everyone more comfortable politically, or willing to bargain away the rights of others to make a deal for themselves. Specifically, the notion was advanced that we could make gains at the expense of senior citizens by privatizing Social Security.

For our part, we want to be absolutely clear and on the record: We specifically reject any attempts to trade equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, a group that includes many elders, for the rights of senior citizens under Social Security or, for that matter, the rights of any other group of Americans.

I was glad to see my advisor and John D'Emilio signed it.

In other news:

TORONTO, Dec. 9 -- Canada's Supreme Court on Thursday declared same-sex marriages constitutional, underscoring the sharp contrast on the issue between Canada and the United States.

Those thinking about moving should read the Canadian Skilled Worker Self-Assessment and consider advertising on MarryAnAmerican.ca (double attractive for the homo set). Also, this from the Chronicle of Higher Ed (which I'm pasting in because their articles are not accessible without a subscription):

The Chronicle of Higher Education
Friday, December 10, 2004

2 Colleges in Massachusetts Halt Benefits for Same-Sex Partners, Now That They May Marry
By PIPER FOGG

At least two colleges in Massachusetts have stopped offering benefits to their employees' same-sex domestic partners since a law went into effect this year that permits gay and lesbian couples in the state to marry.

Emerson College and Northeastern University say such couples, if they marry, are now eligible for spousal benefits, just like married heterosexual couples.

Northeastern has given couples until June 2005 to decide whether they want to get married or lose their same-sex-partner benefits. Emerson, which announced its new policy in June, gave couples about three months to decide. It stopped offering the benefits to unmarried partners on October 1.

The University of Massachusetts, a five-campus system that previously did not offer benefits to same-sex domestic partners, will now offer spousal benefits to married gay and lesbian couples.

"It's a step toward equality," said Daryl Herrschaft, a project director at the Human Rights Campaign, a lobbying group for gay men and lesbians. But he cautioned employers to give their people a sufficient amount of time to decide whether to marry and to make marriage plans.

"It takes more than 12 months for an average marriage to be planned," he noted.

Mr. Herrschaft also said there is an argument to be made for keeping benefits for same-sex domestic partners because such a policy would recognize all types of partnerships. Some colleges in Massachusetts, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have no plans to discontinue domestic-partnership benefits.

In an e-mail message, Mary Ann O'Brien, a Harvard spokeswoman said, "We would approach any change in this area cautiously, with an eye toward where the law and the work force is going."

A final thought: perhaps "gay gene" research will begin to die a long-overdue death now that Dean Hamer is researching whether there's a faith gene.

Here is a cute if overpriced bumper sticker for straights and gays on your holiday shopping list.