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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 3, 2004)
September 3.2004 • just out 17 Hubbard Chevrolet cover employees’ pets but can said. “We were inspired by Don’t Amend not their partners. founder Robin Tyler’s famous quip, ‘If being gay “Home Depot is finally is a disease, let’s all call in sick to work’ and putting its people first,” decided to put those words into action.” said HRC president Cheryl Up to 27 million U.S. citizens identify as Jacques after learning that being primarily gay or lesbian, yet no federal the company put out a memo law provides protection from discrimina at close of business Sept. 1 tion in the workplace, and many state announcing the change. and federal laws prohibit access to Earlier that day, HRC’s Work the rights and re Net project revealed that Home sponsibilities of mar Depot, based in Atlanta, was one riage. The boycott, of four Fortune 500 companies which will be held on the Friday that offered pet insurance but before National Coming Out not domestic partner health Day, encourages queers and insurance despite published their straight allies to with policies prohibiting discrimina draw from the economy in tion based on sexual orienta three specific areas: tion—and one covering gen • Don’t purchase any der identity. The others are thing: Do not generate sales Some Fortune 500 companies Sprint, based in Overland, tax or business revenue. offer insurance for employees’ Kan.; Waste Management of • Don’t work: Take the parrots, hut not for their Houston; and Ecolab of St. day off. Do not generate pay Paul, Minn. domestic partners roll taxes or income taxes or “Paying for a parrot’s but add to the economy. not a person’s hospital stay is absurd,” Jacques • Don’t use cell phones: Dropping out of said. “This is no joke. Employees deserve better the communication network is a way to measure from these companies.” the impact of your presence. Home Depot had been slated to earn a fail ing grade on WorkNet’s Corporate Equality CONNECTICUT Index, to be released later this month. The addi even gay and lesbian couples from across tion of domestic partner health insurance bene Connecticut who were recently denied mar fits will raise its score to 71 percent, which is also riage licenses in Madison filed suit Aug. 25 in Sprint’s tentative score. Waste Management is New Haven Superior Court challenging the slated to receive 43 percent; Ecolab will not be state’s discriminatory denial of marriage rights to scored because the company never replied to the same-sex couples. The plaintiff couples, who HRC questionnaire. The index measures how have been in committed relationships for equitably companies treat their queer employ between 10 and 28 years, many of them raising ees, consumers and investors. children, contend that only marriage will pro “The only thing keeping Home Depot from vide them with the protections and benefits a perfect score is its lack of a nondiscrimination they need to live securely as a family. policy covering gender identity,” said Kim I. “This case presents a historic opportunity for Mills, HRC education director. “We will con Connecticut,” said Mary Bonauto, Gay &. Les tinue to work with the company to ensure all its bian Adv(x:ates & Defenders civil rights direc employees get equal treatment.” tor. “Marriage is both a profound personal com mitment and unique legal relationship that pro vides enormous protections to families. As a nationwide economic “walkout” will be simple matter of equality, it is time for Con held Oct. 8 to highlight the economic necticut to end this discrimination against impact of the U.S. sexual minority population, same-sex couples and their families.” which spends an average of $1.4 billion each GLAD represented plaintiff couples in the day. The Boycott for Equality is designed to 2003 Massachusetts case that led to the first-in- highlight the contribution that queers make to the-nation ruling ordering the state to issue mar the domestic economy and tax base while being riage licenses to same-sex residents beginning denied the full legal protections and civil liber May 17. In addition, GLAD was counsel in the ties afforded heterosexual citizens. 1999 Vermont case that resulted in the Legisla “We want to remind those in our nation who ture granting civil unions to gay and lesbian don’t always see the impact of our community in couples, another historic outcome. terms of dollars and cents that we do have real In the Connecticut case, five of the seven cou market power,” boycott co-founder Dale Dun ples have young children; some have faced health issues and worry about being denied access to one other in times of crisis. While all the cou ples are concerned about receiving the full range of protec tions that only flow through marriage, many also believe that only marriage will convey the depth and commit ment of their rela tionships to their families and the world at large. JF! S Integrity, Quality, Service Since 1936 Up Io $5,000 Cash Back Rebates or 0% OAC limiteli lime TAKE A TEST DRIVE GET A FREE OIL CHANGECOUPON! 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CC Slaughter's Dancing/Find-A-Guy Party (no cover) • 10/8, Fri Boxxes/The Brigg 1984 Dance Party 2.0 --------- W S01-223-M22 W info@qland ong Geraldine (left) and Suzanne Artis, parents of a 6-year-old and 4-year-old twins, are suing the state of Connecticut for the right to marry Compiled by News Edittrr J im R adosta , who can he reached at jim@justout.com. www q land org MWRWMI RIC-HT*; OREGON