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George Mason University’s Student Newspaper www.broadsideonline.com
April 2, 2012
Volume 88 Issue 19
Photo by: Trevor DeSaussure
Photo by: Stephen Kline
Mason students gathered on Friday for the Million Hoodie March to raise campus awareness about the controversial shooting of Trayvon Martin. The march was organized in support of the arrest of Martin’s shooter, George Zimmerman. “We’re just hoping that people come by, learn a little bit, pick up some Skittles and AriZona tea and take that message we bring forth today to another person,” said Britt Wright, a senior communication major and event organizer.
Photo by: Stephen Kline
Mason Not Allowed to Recognize Domestic Partnerships Gay Faculty Members Cannot Extend Health Insurance Benefits to Partners Hannah Smith Asst. News Editor Director of women and gender studies Suzanne Scott’s passion for social justice has earned her the respect of her colleagues. But unlike many of her peers, if either Scott or her companion were to become ill and leave the university, she would not be covered by her partner’s insurance. That’s because domestic partner benefits of any kind are illegal under Virginia law, which prevents George Mason University health insurance policies from covering the partners of unmarried employees. “It is a real hardship for people at Mason that they cannot offer it,” said Scott’s partner, Lynne Constantine, a professor in the School of Art. “At our ages, especially at my age, that kind of security is important,” Scott said. For many years, health insurance coverage for the couple’s children had hinged upon Scott’s employment at Mason. Although Constantine is for all other purposes a mother of four children, Scott is their biological parent. Constantine cannot adopt them because Virginia law only allows for the spouse of a birth parent to adopt a child. In Virginia, both gay marriage and gay adoption are llegal. This means that if Scott’s health insurance were to be terminated, Constantine’s insurance could not be extended to their chil-
dren. The couple’s health insurance situation would be even worse if they were not both faculty members. Gay professors who are not faculty members have to buy additional coverage for their partners. The pair does not blame the university for their situation. “I want to be very clear,” Constantine said. “George Mason University would do it if they could.” The matter is frequently brought up in Faculty Senate meetings and has support from senior members of the university administration. “I believe it’s the right thing to do,” said Peter Stearns, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “It would be beneficial for us [to offer same-sex couples benefits] because it would help to recruit better talent to the university.” This argument has been made before. In the 2008 Virginia legislative session, Virginia State Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31st) proposed a bill that would extend health coverage to domestic partners. Supporters of the bill argued that extending health benefits to same-sex couples would help recruit the best candidates for jobs in competitive markets such as Northern Virginia. That legislation failed in the Virginia General Assembly. “It’s obvious that many corporations have extended those benefits [to same-sex partners],”
Stearns said. “It would be very desirable for George Mason to do the same.” There is no legislation that explicitly bans health insurance policies from applying to samesex couples, but two existing laws combine to make it illegal. One is the federal Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996, which prevents federal recognition of same-sex marriages. The other is the Marshall-Newman Amendment, passed by Virginia legislature in 2006. This bill amended the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which founding father George Mason helped draft in 1776, to define all unions, including marriage, as between a man and a woman. In Fairfax County, where the cost of living index is 19 points ahead of the national average, Mason faculty who cannot receive the full benefits package are at an economic disadvantage. “Part of the way that the university makes up for our salaries not being competitive is a pretty decent benefit package,” Constantine said. Full-time faculty salaries at Mason are ranked at the third percentile among self-defined peer institutions, according to Institutional Research and Reporting. The State Council for Higher Education for Virginia has made it a goal to reach the 60th percentile among peer institutions
Raul Grijalva Gives Speech on Public Health Arizona Congressman Discusses Link Between Health Care and Immigration Reform care law reauthorized Indian health care, which the federal government is required by treaty to provide. Asst. News Editor Audrey Ferguson, a senior nursing student, “A communicable disease doesn’t understand asked Grijalva what he would tell people who say that that it needs a green card. It doesn’t understand that they don’t want to pay for the health care of undocuit should have checked with IAS before it came into mented workers. the country.” “I hate to disappoint you,” Grijalva said. “[but] Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva said this in an address you’re already paying for it.” He said that the average to the George Mason University community Thurs- taxpayer picks up the tab when undocumented imday, about the connection between health reform and migrants use the emergency room or health care sysimmigration. tems. Grijalva is the co-chair of the Grijalva also addressed the “Education is the [next Progressive Caucus in the House of DREAM Act, which would proRepresentatives. He has served great] or is the civil vide a pathway to U.S. residency there since 2003. for people who were brought to rights issue of our He recently caught the attenthe United States as young chilgeneration. My parents tion of the national media when he dren. The caveat is that they have callen on entertainers and sports believed that school to complete at least two years of teams to boycott Arizona in order to was the great equalizer. military service or college. protest SB 1070, Arizona’s “papers, “Education is the [next It doesn’t matter where please” law, which will be considerd great] or is the civil rights issue by the Supreme Court. you come from, [what of our generation,” he said. “My The speech also came on the parents believed that school was you] look like, anything heels of the Supreme Court prothe great equalizer. It doesn’t or how much money ceedings regarding the Obama admatter where you come from, ministration’s health reform law, your family has.” [what you] look like, anything or dubbed “Obamacare” by oppohow much money your family nents. Grijalva said that striking has.” -Rep. Raul Grijalva down the legislation would have The DREAM Act was passed the greatest impact on immigrants by the House in 2010 but died in and people of color. the Senate. It was reintroduced Hispanics are only 14 percent recently in the House, but is of the population in the United States, yet they make stalled in committee. The Student Senate at Mason up 30 percent of the uninsured, according to the fed- recently passed a resolution in support of the eral department of Health and Human Services. DREAM Act. One issue Grijalva has with health care reform Elise Marsh, a graduate student in public health, is that it doesn’t allow undocumented workers to buy and one of Grijalva’s constituents, said that she plans into the system. “But we have what we have. It’s to to vote for him in November. “Growing up in Tucson, some extent a leap of faith,” he said. I think it’s important to have a congressperson who is District 7, which Grijalva represents, is the only sensitive to the fact that immigrant populations are congressional district in the nation to have a major- people, too — that they need access to health care ity hispanic population. It contains 300 miles of the just [like] anyone else in this country.” U.S. border with Mexico. Native Americans, whom Grijalva describes as “the most aggrieved population in this nation,” are also a sizable demographic in his district. The health See CONGRESSMAN, Page 3
Hannah Smith