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.
Illinois State University has announced that it will offer health care benefits to the domestic partners of its employees, both gay and straight. The ISU program goes a step further than that of the state and the University of Illinois, which extended such benefits to only gay or lesbian domestic partners, excluding unmarried heterosexual couples. ISU officials said offering the program to both same- and opposite-sex partners is a matter of diversity and fairness. "It's a right we'd like to see extended to all people," said Dave Bentlin, office manager in ISU's Division of University Advancement. "We don't think [heterosexual couples] should be penalized because they don't choose to get married." Several private educational institutions in the state, including Northwestern and the University of Chicago, offer benefits to their employees' domestic partners. The ISU benefits program takes effect immediately. Peter Lebarber, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, said ISU's reimbursement program chips away at the institution of marriage. "It's another incentive against marriage. In our view, that's the last thing we need in society," Lebarber said. "Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for homosexual partnerships or heterosexuals living together who aren't married." ISU spokesman Jay Groves said the reimbursement program for health care, vision, and dental coverage is not funded by taxpayer money. The school expects to spend less than $40,000 on the program. Under the program, ISU will reimburse employees for what they pay to purchase health coverage for their domestic partners up to the amount the employee would have paid for dependent coverage under the university's health plan, Groves said. UI spokesman Thomas Hardy said the school doesn't extend its health care reimbursement program to unmarried straight couples because they have the option of getting married, whereas same-sex couples do not. Under a contract ratified last month by the state's 37,000 employees, Illinois joined 10 other states that offer health insurance to same-sex partners but not unmarried straight couples.
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
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
21+ steamy photos of Scotland’s finest gay men in Elska Glasgow
February 01 2024 10:07 PM
More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms
May 12 2024 11:44 AM
Conjoined twins Lori Schappell and trans man George Schappell dead at 62
April 27 2024 6:13 PM
Latest Stories
Record 1.2 million people show out for Cologne’s Pride parade
July 23 2024 10:51 AM
Here's how far-right activist Leonard Leo helped fund Bud Light boycott
July 23 2024 10:27 AM
Elon Musk’s comments about his trans daughter prove why she doesn’t speak to him
July 23 2024 9:16 AM
Nancy Pelosi endorses Kamala Harris for president
July 22 2024 4:07 PM
Charli XCX declares Kamala Harris IS brat & our next President's campaign agrees
July 22 2024 3:08 PM
Pete Buttigieg roasts JD Vance and his gay tech bro billionaire
July 22 2024 1:42 PM
The AIDs pandemic can be ended by 2030, but governments must act: report
July 22 2024 1:01 PM
Conservatives' first attack on Kamala Harris: Pronouns and accessibility?
July 22 2024 12:45 PM
Advancing equality during Disability Pride Month
July 22 2024 11:30 AM