CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
A gay rights group called Heights Families for Equality from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, announced Sunday its latest drive to create a citywide domestic-partner registry. If the measure passes, it would be the first domestic-partner registry in the nation passed by voters and not lawmakers. Overall, 61 registries have been created by municipal councils or state legislatures, but not by voters, said Lorri Jean, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The registry would give gay and heterosexual unmarried partners a legal record of their commitment to one another. Couples could use the document in attempts to share employment benefits or inherit property. The registry would not be binding on courts, governments, hospitals, or private companies, but many such registries have been accepted elsewhere. "Cleveland Heights is a small place, but equality in this country is something that happens in little bits and pieces, at least until we get a federal law," Jean said. Heights Families for Equality needs to collect about 3,600 signatures to put the registry on the ballot this year. The drive comes as the state legislature is poised to ban same-sex marriages or recognition of gay relationships. The Ohio house approved such a bill in November by a 68-29 vote, but the measure died because the senate did not vote on it. Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) said he would reintroduce the bill. A statewide defense-of-marriage law and a Cleveland Heights registry could be irreconcilable, however. In April, Cleveland Heights became the first Ohio city to extend health benefits to same-sex partners of city employees. The domestic-partner registry would not be limited to gay couples. It could be used by heterosexual couples, such as elderly widows and widowers who enter into new relationships. They may want to register instead of marrying because remarriage could mean the loss of a deceased spouse's pension or Social Security benefits, said Mark Beach, a spokesman for the California AARP.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: The Daily
Trending stories from our video partner Advocate Channel.
For more videos and shows go to advocatechannel.com.
Trending stories from our video partner Advocate Channel.
For more videos and shows go to advocatechannel.com.
Latest Stories
Meet the transgender minister representing LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia
April 25 2024 6:30 AM
How a lesbian's triumph on the Portland Timbers billboard broke barriers
April 24 2024 4:52 PM
‘Faces of Gun Violence’ exhibit unveiled at inaugural survivors’ summit
April 24 2024 4:46 PM
Trans woman Andrea Doria Dos Passos beaten to death in Miami Beach; arrest made
April 24 2024 4:36 PM
TikTok may be banned in the U.S. after Biden signs new law — Why?
April 24 2024 3:43 PM
Serial killer of gay men in New Orleans released after 46 years in prison
April 24 2024 2:16 PM
The 'largest bi+ event in the world' is happening this year. Here's when and where
April 24 2024 12:42 PM
What happens if Donald Trump is jailed for criminal contempt?
April 24 2024 12:22 PM
Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, and more urge NCAA to stand up for trans inclusion
April 24 2024 8:00 AM
Over 90% of trans youth live in states pushing anti-trans legislation: report
April 23 2024 10:08 PM