The American
Civil Liberties Union could be joining Salt Lake City in
defending a policy to provide health benefits to the
domestic partners of unmarried city employees. The
ACLU's Utah chapter has been contacted by city
officials and others about the challenges to Mayor Rocky
Anderson's executive order extending health benefits
to unmarried domestic partners--gay or straight.
"Right now we are doing some investigation,"
ACLU of Utah staff attorney Margaret Plane said.
"We're doing some fact-finding. There are a lot of
avenues we could take, but it really depends on what we learn."
The ACLU is asking to hear from gay and lesbian
city employees in the city. City attorneys are already
defending Anderson's order, signed last month, in
court. The city responded in third district court Wednesday
to a petition filed by the Public Employees Health
Program, which has asked the court to determine
whether the proposed benefit change is legal before
administering it. Anderson's executive order would offer
benefits to the domestic partners of city employees,
regardless of sexuality.
Opponents of Anderson's order say it violates
state law by offering gay couples and unmarried
heterosexual couples the legal equivalent status of a
traditional marriage. The measure also is being challenged
in a civil lawsuit filed by an Arizona conservative
group, which alleges that the order undermines the
institution of marriage and is illegal. (AP)