NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
The Tulane University Community
vs. The Tulane University Board
Tulane has traditionally been a champion of human rights. Tulane's Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity statement reads :" Tulane University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity institution, and consequently its policy of nondiscrimination includes recruitment and employment, admissions and access, retention and promotion of the most qualified student, faculty and staff, regardless of an individual's race, sex, color, religion, national/ethnic origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, age, handicap or veteran status. Tulane University does not discriminate in its provision of services and benefits and in its treatment of students, patients and employees."
Tulane's policy of nondiscrimination dates back to 1985. Their twenty-five year old Bi/Gala is the oldest gay student organization in the state. Tulane can boast of organizations for gay students, faculty and staff. The Law School is the only one in the U.S.A. which publishes a queer legal issues journal, Law & Sexuality.
So, why is the Board out of step with its community in refusing benefits to same sex registered domestic partners? No one seems to be able to give a logically sound answer. Other than the obviously homophobic actions of an uninformed group of ten Board members, the Tulane community appears to be solidly behind the move to include registered domestic partners.
And, why do we care? Tulane is the largest private employer in the City of New Orleans. If a few gay bashers can stop the domestic partners benefits, what other damage can they do? And does this mean that there is no strength to enforce their Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity statement?
Christopher Daigle, Director of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Life at Tulane has prepared, at the request of the Board, a concise report on the subject, White Paper in Re: Domestic Partnership Family Benefits. The findings of his considerable research were impressive and also a little surprising. Daigle reports that more than 650 employers nation-wide, including 240 of Fortune 500 companies, have adopted nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation. Of these, approximately 125 companies offer domestic partnership benefits. Also, approximately 30 labor organizations offer domestic partnership benefits. A few of the surprising ones are Amalgamated Workers Union, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Oil Chemical and Atomic Workers and Pacific Gas and Electric. On the list of "expected" organizations were American Ass'n. Of University Professors, Directors Guild of America, American Federation of Government Employees and Teachers Insurance Annuity Association just to name a few.
There are some 115 colleges and universities nationwide that acknowledge domestic partners. Among them are Tulane competitors, Duke and Emory. Some of the more prominent universities are Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Dartmouth, MIT, Brown, Oberlin, Brandeis, William & Mary, Princeton and the list continues with both private and state funded schools.
Of the businesses, unions and schools that have initiated benefits for domestic partners, some were introduced as early as 1986. There are approximately 60 cities, counties and federal agencies that now extend benefits. Mayor Marc Morial issued an executive order in May, 1997 to extend benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian city employees.
Is it a matter of cost? Daigle's answer was that cost is a non-issue. The cost of adding a domestic partner dependent to Tulane's Health Care Coverage would cost no more than if a heterosexual employee would marry or have a child. Any increased risk of AIDS among male same-sex couples appears to be offset by a decreased risk of pregnancy among female same-sex partners. The report states that the average lifetime cost of HIV treatment is $119,000 per patient. Compare that with the cost of premature infant care which can run from $50,000 to $1,000,000.
In speaking with gay faculty and staff, the most important issues are family and medical leave and bereavement leave. These costs are minimal yet the time to anyone who has an ill partner or has lost a partner to death is invaluable.
Other universities have found this experience to be positive. Other businesses state that extension of these benefits is just "good business." The benefits are another marketing tool for recruiting good employees. Daigle has found that no university that has offered domestic partnership benefits has reported the loss of major donors, and none reported that fundraising efforts were compromised.
Will Tulane's Board come in line with the thinking of the school's staff and students? The issue will come up again and hopefully the vote will be a positive one.
Equal Time
For Vintage Lesbians
OLOC (Old Lesbians Organized for Change) was established in 1989 at the West Coast Celebration of Old Lesbian at San Francisco State University. The issue of ageism in the lesbian and larger community was the impetus for formation. The 10th anniversary Gathering will take place at the University on August 12-15, 1999. The Gathering Project for 1998-99 is to raise enough money to pay deposits, program printing, publicity and offer financial assistance to women who can not afford to attend.
In the early 90's, Jean Boudreaux, author of Shewolf's Directory of Wimmin's Lands, organized SOLOC (Southern Older Lesbians Organized for Change). This was a group of approximately fifteen lesbians who came together once a month for food, fellowship and fun. Out of that group, Jean tried to form a chapter of OLOC. The local OLOC chapter seems to be inactive from the information I was given, yet, there are still several national members in this area.
If you are 60 years of age and would like information about OLOC, please write to OLOC, PO Box 98042, Houston, TX 77098. Lesbians in their 40's-50's wishing to revive SOLOC cancontact me here at Ambush. Lesbians of all ages who are interested in Wimmin's Lands and Communities can also contact me here. The cost is only $12.00 (for the book, not the call).
The OLOC Reporter has printed a list of recommended readings. On ageism among lesbians and in society, two fine books are Look Me in the Eye by Barbara MacDonald, a co-founder of OLOC, and Cynthia Rich, and Over the Hill by Baba Copper. Additional readings in non-fiction are Crone by Barbara Walker; The Desert Years by Cynthia Rich; End Game by May Sarton; Having Our Say by the Delaney Sisters; Two Old Women by Velma Wallis; The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde; and, Women And Aging, an anthology by women.
Happy Networking, old girls!!
