Congressman Alan Grayson is urging the Orange County Commission and Mayor Teresa Jacobs to reinstate domestic partner benefits for county employees.
In a unanimous, consent agenda vote, the Commissioners on Oct. 20 quietly voted to repeal the domestic partner benefits.
“The intent of the program was to ensure Orange County employees parity for same sex couples who did not have the option to marry in the State of Florida,” reads the agenda item repealing the benefits. “Domestic partners had to satisfy eligibility requirements established by the County… This program was not available to opposite sex couples because they have always had the option to marry in the State of Florida.”
Grayson wrote a letter to the Commissioners and mayor “strongly” urging them to reconsider, stating that the vote is “a significant step backwards in achieving full equality for the LGBT community.”
“Many couples choose not to marry, for reasons that should remain between them and not their employer,” Grayson’s letter reads. “Specifically, gay and transgender couples still face powerful forms of discrimination, often times from within their very own families, that simply do not make the act of getting married a simple legal option.”
Grayson argues that domestic partners deserve benefits as much as gay couples do, the benefits improve worker morale and keeping the benefits would make Orange County competitive when trying to attract employers. His letter warns that repealing the benefits would cause Orange County to “fall behind” other Florida counties.
“Broward County even took steps to expand their domestic partnership program just last week,” the letter reads.
Equality Florida also reacted to the County Commissioners’ decision, arguing that all domestic partners, whether in a same-sex or heterosexual relationship, should be covered by benefits.
“Some couples do not marry for both personal and practical reasons, but these families are just as deserving of health insurance and other protections,” reads a statement by Stratton Pollitzer, deputy director of Equality Florida. “It’s only fair that two employees doing the same job receive the same benefits for their families.”
Orange County’s domestic partner benefits program was instituted in 2011, with benefits starting in January of 2012. It will be officially cancelled as of Jan. 1, 2016. Eleven employees are currently enrolled in the program, and they’ll have a grace period until the end of 2016 to continue their coverage.
