01/16/2008
U of Texas Lecturer on Hunger Strike to Protest Anti-Gay Policy
Uri Horesh, a University of Texas lecturer of Arabic in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, has begun a hunger strike to protest the school's policy of discrimination against same-sex domestic partners of employees. Although the school has a nondiscrimination policy which prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, the university cites state law which forbids state institutions from recognizing same-sex unions, and says they would be breaking the law if they extended benefits to same-sex domestic partners. According to Horesh, however, "The university has a responsibility to be more progressive than the state."
Horesh told the Austin American-Statesman: "The fact that the university is conducting itself in this manner makes me feel like I'm a persona non grata here, a person whose rights are less important than others. For some reason, some people in this state and others have a twisted view of what's moral or what's right. You can think whatever you want about same-sex partnerships, but to discriminate against someone because they're gay, that to me is as immoral as discriminating against them because they're black, deaf, blind...I'm not going to start eating until this matter is resolved or I'm taken to the hospital. Whatever happens first."
UT lecturer begins hunger strike to demand domestic partner benefits [austin american-statesman]
(VIDEO)
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 12:19 PM EST by Andy in Austin, Gay Rights, News, Texas | Permalink
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I'm strangely unmoved by this. He may well be sincere; but I question his logic, and his tactics. Call me in time for the funeral.
Posted by: Ted B. (Charging Rhino) | Jan 16, 2008 12:41:29 PM
I think Uri needs to eat. The University cannot break state law. Unfortunate-but reality. At least they (university) do protect against discrimination. I give him kudos for his determination-but this is one he will not win. One good thing, he will shed some pounds.
Posted by: Otto | Jan 16, 2008 12:46:58 PM
Otto: I wondered how many posts it would take for the body fascists to show up. This man is standing up for all of us and you have the nerve to make a joke about his weight. Typical fag response.
Posted by: scott | Jan 16, 2008 1:43:11 PM
Ted B., Otto - At least this man has the balls to actually do something. The apathy of most gay men today is appalling. The most many gay men do today is post bitchy, nasty comments on blogs. Successful or not, he's drawing attention to the issue.
Posted by: Gregus | Jan 16, 2008 1:55:34 PM
Here in Austin it will undoubtedly have an impact - we're talking about a city that is a Jewel in the middle of a state that is well....Texas. Austin has an ever growing gay community and it's great to see Mr. Horesh speaking out.
Posted by: Jonathan | Jan 16, 2008 2:42:53 PM
Lobby legislaters and council-members, yes. Organize students and faculty; yes. Agitate for media coverage of the issue, yes. But to effectively stand in the public-square and threaten to commit suicide isn't an effective form of advocacy when you're unhappy about a policy-decision....it's a self-indulgent stunt.
Posted by: Ted B. (Charging Rhino) | Jan 16, 2008 3:27:42 PM
They have universities in Texas?
Posted by: Shelley | Jan 16, 2008 3:46:48 PM
Ted B - Your absolutely right. He's drawing more attention to himself than to the issue of discrimination.
Posted by: JJ | Jan 16, 2008 4:18:27 PM
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Chuck Smith, Deputy Director
Equality Texas
Office: 512-474-5475
Cell: 512-294-3506
Competitive Benefits are Critical to Employee Recruitment and Retention
University of Texas Policy Reveals Competitive Weakness for State’s Public Colleges and Universities
Austin, Texas - (January 16, 2008) – A University of Texas at Austin lecturer is in his third day of a hunger strike to draw attention to the lack of competitive employee benefits at the state’s largest public university. Uri Horesh, a 37-year-old Arabic lecturer in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, wants the University to offer employee benefits, such as health insurance, to employees’ same-sex partners. The University, to its credit, has acknowledged that employee benefit packages are critically important in the recruitment and retention of employees, faculty and staff. However, they insist their hands are tied by state law prohibiting recognition of same-sex partnerships.
“The issue of competitive employee benefit packages is one that transcends same-sex couples,” said Paul Scott, Equality Texas Executive Director. “In order to attract and retain the most qualified faculty and staff, leading academic institutions are offering access to benefit plans that support the employee and members of the employee’s household. If the University of Texas truly aspires to be a first-tier academic institution, it must be able to offer competitive employee benefit plans.”
According to U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2008”, fully 100% of the top 20 ranked national universities offer health insurance coverage to employees’ domestic partners. U.S. News’ “Top 20” listing includes Rice University in Houston, a private institution that offers employee benefits to same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners.
“Indeed, leading private colleges and universities in Texas are already offering employee benefits programs that include domestic partners,” said Scott. “In addition to Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston), Southern Methodist University (Dallas), Southwestern University (Georgetown), and Trinity University (San Antonio) offer domestic partner employee benefits.”
At the present time, none of the state’s publicly-funded colleges or universities offers employee benefits packages that include domestic partners. However, it may be possible for them to do so without running afoul of Texas law. “While offering benefits only to same-sex domestic partners might be interpreted, however wrongly, by the Attorney General as a violation of Texas law, public colleges and universities could elect to offer employee benefits using an approach that does not mention marriage, unions, or same-sex domestic partnerships,” says Scott. “In Kentucky and Michigan, states with recent constitutional amendments defining marriage similar to Texas, university benefit policies have been adopted that don’t distinguish between same-sex and opposite-sex living arrangements. Ultimately, it comes back to colleges and universities offering benefit plans that will enable them to compete for the best and brightest talent,” Scott added.
“It is truly unfortunate that an employee of this state’s flagship public academic institution has found it necessary to go on a hunger strike in order to shine a light on the lack of benefits that are otherwise available at every single one of this country’s top twenty universities. Equality Texas hopes the University of Texas will become the first public university in the state to offer competitive benefits to its employees, faculty and staff,” Scott concluded.
Equality Texas works toward the elimination of social, legal, and economic discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression through lobbying, education, and research directed toward the Texas Legislature and other state governmental agencies,
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Posted by: Chuck Smith | Jan 16, 2008 4:33:02 PM
Truth told:
He can starve himself to death, and nothing's going to happen. The University WILL NOT be moved at all as long as it continues to be a state-funded institution. It is an unfortunate reality, but that's how it goes.
Posted by: Jerry | Jan 16, 2008 4:43:14 PM
Ted B. - Was Mahatma Gandhi's refusal of food and water in protest also a self-indulgent stunt?
Posted by: Gregus | Jan 16, 2008 5:07:51 PM
He needs to go on a hunger strike, big boy has some major pounds to lose before anyone cares what hes doing.
Posted by: ChrisG | Jan 16, 2008 5:53:02 PM
"But to effectively stand in the public-square and threaten to commit suicide isn't an effective form of advocacy when you're unhappy about a policy-decision....it's a self-indulgent stunt."
Tell that to Mohandas Gandhi who had the bravery to do whatever it took, even putting his life on the line, for what was try and right. If we aren't willing to have this kind of commitment to a cause, then we deserve NOTHING.
Posted by: Bill | Jan 17, 2008 11:26:24 AM
"But to effectively stand in the public-square and threaten to commit suicide isn't an effective form of advocacy when you're unhappy about a policy-decision....it's a self-indulgent stunt."
Tell that to Mohandas Gandhi who had the bravery to do whatever it took, even putting his life on the line, for what was try and right. If we aren't willing to have this kind of commitment to a cause, then we deserve NOTHING.
Posted by: Bill | Jan 17, 2008 11:27:56 AM
I knew Uri when he went to the University of Pennsylvania. He's a good guy and very intelligent. I hope that he manages to effect some positive change. The least that the university could do would be to lobby the legislature to change the law. They could also simply give out domestic partners benefits, and hash it out in court (the specifics of the law may not really prohibit it; I wouldn't know without having read it). They could find some other way to compensate the domestic partners, maybe such as housing. For the university to simply sit on its hands is inappropriate.
Posted by: Jaime | Jan 17, 2008 12:37:27 PM
One thing I forgot to mention to put this in perspective is that when we were at UPenn, the school was a lead plaintiff in the Solomon case. The law mandated that the anti-gay military must be given school resources to recruit (aka you have to bend your policy whereby any employer that discriminates against LGBT people isn't allowed on campus). UPenn did not sit on its hands and just say, "This is the law." They fought it tooth and nail in the courts (all the way to the Supreme Court), and the University did everything they could to support our protests. UPenn believed in the dignity of its LGBT students, despite what the law mandated.
Posted by: Jaime | Jan 17, 2008 12:43:03 PM