Alabama Lawmaker Wants to Cut Off Domestic Partner Benefits
Saying the University of Alabama Birmingham's policy of offering health benefits to same-sx partners runs counter to the state's ban on same-sex marriage, state lawmaker DuWayne Bridges has been gathering support for a proposal to block the benefits, the Birmingham News reports:
"Rep. DuWayne Bridges, R-Valley, said support is building among Republicans for a bill that would
prohibit the use of tax dollars for domestic partner benefits. 'I don't think the university should waste money by making a liberal or politically correct statement,' he said Thursday. The bill would be aimed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham,
which last month began allowing employees to enroll domestic partners
of either
sex in its health insurance plan, with benefits
beginning Jan. 1. UAB officials have said they need to offer domestic
partner benefits so
their medical school can compete with other top schools, which routinely do so."
Openly gay state rep. Patricia Todd spoke out against the Bridges plan: "We don't know how many gay, lesbian and transgender people there are in the country or even in Alabama, but we know that we're present and we make a contribution and we're not asking for any more or less than any other group of folks. We just want equality. Like it or not, Rep. Bridges, the world is changing and people are accepting more diversity."
Yet another pasty redneck peckerwood whitey motherfucker. What a stellar example of his race!
Posted by: crispy | Nov 6, 2009 10:58:42 AM
Really, could these people be any more mean-spirited? But I'm sure he goes to church every Sunday. So that makes me a good person.
Posted by: sjorgl | Nov 6, 2009 11:13:49 AM
You go DUHHHHHHHWayne, that's just what the Deep South needs -- to chase more smart people away so Dixie is safe for mouth breathers and sister fuckers.
Posted by: MikeMick | Nov 6, 2009 11:17:13 AM
I'm relieved that he's getting reamed in the comment section of the article. That's a good sign of things to come.
Posted by: David in Houston | Nov 6, 2009 12:01:00 PM
Chip, chip, chip. That is the sound of more of our rights being taken away. WTF? Where are all the protest and rallies like last year after Prop 8 passing?
These BIGOTS who hide behind their bibles, need to be stopped. They said they were only concern about preserving their precious marriage, but now they are going after DP benefits. The are wingnuts pushing to make being gay illegal.
Posted by: DairyQueen | Nov 6, 2009 12:26:47 PM
I'm sure the UofAatB receives federal dollars in some capacity. Not being a lawyer, but surely the Federal Government would see this as discrimination.
Posted by: cybearsage | Nov 6, 2009 12:52:25 PM
See, it doesn't matter whether it is marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships, etc. the Right Wing will never accept any form of equality in our relationships. It is pointless to pursue anything less than full equality.
Posted by: Craig | Nov 6, 2009 1:06:50 PM
Crispy, thanks for stooping to his level just to be an idiot.
Posted by: Pee Town | Nov 6, 2009 1:08:29 PM
I doubt many people who read this blog live in his district, but send him an email nonetheless to duwayne.bridges@alhouse.org, Tell him why discrimination is un-American.
Posted by: FRH | Nov 6, 2009 1:51:03 PM
So we can pay the taxes, but god forbid we benifit from them. Where is the fairness?
Posted by: Edd | Nov 6, 2009 2:29:08 PM
Pee Town, Crispy is just pointing out the irony of the lack of racially insensitive comments on this post in a sarcastic manner. The fact that white men are spearheading the stripping away of all our rights, yet the posts that incense most white gay males on this site are from homophobic incidents where people of color are the agitators. Most posters on this site always bring up race and culture when the perpatrator of the homophobic act is of color, but remain silent when it's a white man. They think when a white person is homophobic it's an anomaly, but when a person of color does it it's indicative of their entire race/culture. So Crispy just reenacted the type of comment that would be left by most if the Alabama lawmaker was black.
Posted by: sugarrhill | Nov 6, 2009 3:17:35 PM
SUGARRHILL:
Beautifully explained. Are they reading/listening? Well....
CRISPY:
My brain cells must be going fast. For a minute I thought you were truly "going off" on all Southern white folks. We have bigger bigots in the middle of Pennsylvania than they have down South. I was getting ready to bring up my Faulkner, Welty, Capote and Williams....Robert Penn Warren, Harper Lee, McCullers, etc.
Not too sure about Miss Flannery down in Georgia...she was kinda' right-wing and a little mean, but considering her health, it was excusable.
Wait a minute....CRISPY had to be using irony--he's a Southerner himself.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Nov 6, 2009 3:50:01 PM
Is this man saying gay/bi/trans people DON'T pay taxes to tehir state?
They were born in the state and pay taxes to that state but are somehow
not entitled to the same civil benefits as straight people? Because, what, Jesus said?
Man, some Americans are crazy loons.
Posted by: EM | Nov 6, 2009 3:58:50 PM
I'm white, I live in the South, and I'm going to say it:
Fuck you, you filthy sister-fucking cracker breeder!
Posted by: Attmay | Nov 6, 2009 6:49:14 PM
Contribute equally. Benefit equally.
Why isn't that an ad campaign?
Posted by: Andy in nola | Nov 6, 2009 8:03:37 PM
People like DuWayne Bridges think driving out all the gay folks out of state is a good idea, hence the anti-gay legislation. What they don't realize is they drive out the *entire* liberal/educated population, not just the gay segment, with bigotry. Smart, qualified, educated people, generally, are more liberal than the under-educated. The more educated a person is, the more liberal they become. No *straight* educated person I know wants to live in these backward, bigot states any more than a gay person. I've had many educated *straight* friends who've come from or lived in these anti-gay, anti-liberal places and hate it. "The scenery is beautiful but I can't stand it because the people are so narrow minded, ignorant." They always leave as soon as they can for liberal, blue states.
Driving out the gays will not harm the gays (in the long run) since they'll wind up in gay friendly places where they have equality and economic success. Bigots are only shooting themselves in the foot. Think of the most anti-gay, anti-liberal countries in the world: Jamaica, Iran, Uganda, Afghanistan. Nobody wants to live in those countries. The most liberal, gay friendly countries & cities are the most successful and livable and popular. This small town, small mind mentality is killing rural/conservative areas. Everyone with *any* education gets out as soon as they possibly can. Leaving behind the elderly, the meth addicts, and the unskilled/uneducated.
@ CRISPY,
Good one! The collective power of the Rich, White, Straight, Male Patriarchy/Status Quo does more harm to civil rights in general than any ONE thug who beats up or kills a LGBT person. The (74% white) Patriarchy and Privilege harms the 191 million citizens in this country that AREN'T white/straight/male/Christian. A single thug can only kill or maim a few persons at most, yet they seem to get most of the outrage and ire.
Posted by: Wheezy | Nov 7, 2009 12:25:00 PM
OMG,Where's Mark, and John In Boston, and J Bocca on this one????
Oh I guess she trying to find an excuse to defend white's
Oh Ms ATTMAY Baby that-a-way.
You Mark, John In Boston, J Bocca and the others keep saying all the negative stuff about us African Americans on here.
My dear like I said in the previous posts.
It's WHITE HETEROSEXUALS calling the shots and who will never allow Gays to have the equality they shall so desire!!!
Ain't that a BUMMER?
And I thought they were'nt homophobic.
Posted by: New Castle | Nov 7, 2009 3:03:44 PM
NO MORE QUAKER OATS! THIS GUY'S ON THE COVER, AND IT'S TIME WE TAKE ACTION AGAINST IT!
This guy's pure scum. I hope alabama is destroyed, along with a few other choice southern states.
Posted by: TANK | Nov 7, 2009 3:42:13 PM
I'm posting from Mobile. The sad thing is that the Democratic candidate for Governor (Artur Davis) is no better than Dew Wayne when it comes to abusing Gays.
Posted by: Tom in Lazybrook | Nov 7, 2009 6:23:03 PM
Yo all y'all
There; I said something.
Posted by: John in Boston | Nov 8, 2009 1:29:49 PM
At least the dude didn't accuse anyone a being a card carrying homosapien or practicing thespian.
Posted by: John in Boston | Nov 8, 2009 1:33:30 PM
Doesn't matter he's against the fags having Domestic Partner Benefits
AND HE'S WHITE!
Posted by: Juicy Juice | Nov 9, 2009 12:47:22 AM