They Had a Dream….

They are four members of U of L’s faculty and staff who are credited with achieving an extraordinary task. They formed a group that helped the University of Louisville become the first university in Kentucky to offer its employees domestic partner benefits. This is the story of four people who came together with one purpose. They made history with a landmark victory for GLBT rights in Kentucky that could have a major impact on our future.

Nancy Theriot: Chairperson of the Women and Gender Studies program

Gina Bertocci: Associate Professor, Endowed Chair of Biomechanics

Anita Moorman: Associate Professor in the College of Education

The dream began in 2004 when Buford and the Human Resources department decided to hold a reception one Friday afternoon for GLBT staff and faculty members. "We just asked what GLBT employees of the university need," Buford says. "Overwhelmingly, domestic partner benefits was the message that came out of that."

So the Faculty and Staff for Human Rights group was born. Theriot was named the chair since she had compiled the listserve, which consisted of about 70 names. The group set regular meetings with their sites on one goal – convincing the university it was a good business and economic decision to institute domestic partner benefits (DPB’s).

"We took the bold step of writing a letter to the President of the university saying that we’ve formed our own group and we have things to talk about," says Buford. The President immediately assigned the matter to the Provost, who met with the committee every six weeks.

The team brought in an outside consulting company to estimate costs and projections to help them prepare a very detailed, thoroughly researched proposal. They discovered that adding same and opposite sex benefits would not result in additional expense to the university since U of L doesn’t subsidize spousal health care premiums.

On July 13, 2006, U of L’s trustees gave President James Ramsey the go-ahead to include domestic partner benefits in the university’s health insurance program. "I have worked for the university for 17 years, but I have never been more proud than that day," says Buford. Theriot says, "I almost cried at the board of trustees meeting. I was so overwhelmed."

"Right after the meeting it was very interesting to see how many people reacted positively - straight, gay, whatever - it was a proud moment in the university that they were willing to do this, especially knowing that the climate in Kentucky is what it is," says Moorman.

When making the announcement, Provost Shirley Willihnganz said, "The move means that U of L can compete more effectively with the nation’s top colleges to recruit outstanding faculty."

In January of 2007, U of L enrolled its first group of domestic partners. Only eight people have signed up so far, including Moorman’s and Bertocci’s partners. Buford says the numbers will likely ramp up to about ½ of 1% once people feel assured U of L’s DPB’s are going to stay.

On March 7, 2007, a measure to ban Kentucky universities and government entities from offering DBP’s narrowly failed in the House Health and Welfare Committee. It was actually an 8-8 vote, which essentially deadlocks the bill. (The measure had already passed the Republican-controlled Senate.) Backers of the bill could revive it at the end of this session on March 27th (at press time no action on the bill had taken place). It could also resurface in 2008.

If the bill is passed, Bertocci, who was recruited to the university in 2003 under the Bucks for Brains program, says she’s leaving the state and taking her 4.5 million dollar research grant with her. "My partner and I have talked about this. If this bill passes, it really sets a tone for Kentucky. Why would I want to contribute to a state that is so Hell-bent on discriminating and making me feel like a second class citizen?" says Bertocci.

Looking to the future, the group agrees their job has just begun. They are working with the Kentucky Fairness Alliance and lobbying the legislature to make sure U of L’s DPB’s remain intact. The next goal will be helping other universities in the state do the same thing - starting with UK, which has already begun the process. Then they plan to go after other benefits like sick leave, bereavement leave, and family leave.

"You can take bereavement leave or sick leave to go care for an uncle or a cousin or your sister-in-law’s brother or something like that, but not your life partner. It’s crazy how we’ve defined a family member," says Moorman.

But if this group has their way, I bet all that this is going to change pretty soon as well.

  By Chip Alfred