Delray manager opposes domestic-partner benefits, strengthened gay-rights law
By Erika Slife
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 18, 2006
Delray Beach· City Manager David Harden has taken a strong stance against a gay rights group's push to change the city's anti-discrimination policy or add domestic partner benefits, arguing that it would be "bad social policy" to do so.
In a two-page memo to the City Commission, Harden wrote: "Extending family benefits to domestic partners and their children on the same basis as we currently provide for spouses and their children devalues marriage by saying that families constructed on some other legal basis, other than marriage, are of equal social value."
"I think it's bad social policy," Harden said. "I think it's good social policy to encourage marriage."
He also cited studies that assert the benefits of traditional marriage and outline the health risks of gays and lesbians.
"I've tried to present it as objectively and non-politically as possible," Harden said. "I don't really have anything to add to it."
The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council will present its position at tonight's City Commission workshop. The group's founder, Rand Hoch, said the group would continue to pressure the commission to institute changes.
"The city manager is staff. He doesn't make policy. The elected officials are the ones who make policy," Hoch said.
The city's anti-discrimination clause states: "The City of Delray Beach does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services."
The Human Rights Council wants the city to add "familial status, marital status and sexual orientation" to the list of protected groups.
"Let's face it: It's a civil rights battle. It's so ridiculous for people to be fighting for something like that," said Myrna Rogovin, a Delray Beach resident and president of the local chapter of Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. "Just as other citizens are afforded these benefits, so should the gay community. It should be a non-issue."
However, Harden wrote that he believes the city "has ample protection in place for any employee or applicant who might feel that have suffered discrimination on account of their sexual orientation. If you add sexual orientation, it could be challenging to determine where to stop. For example, I understand it is well documented that both obese and short people suffer discrimination at times."
Harden, 63, who described himself as a "committed Christian" in 2003, said in an interview Monday he'd only heard of such statistics, but did not have them on hand.
The Human Rights Council also wants Delray Beach to provide current and retired employees in committed, long-term relationships the same benefits it offers married employees, regardless of sexual orientation. About 8.4 percent of Delray Beach residents live with someone not related to them by marriage or birth, and 2.5 percent of residents identify themselves as unmarried partners living together, according to statistics compiled by Hoch. He plans to provide this information to the City Commission tonight.
"Generally it's less expensive if you add in domestic partners, people who have domestic partners tend to be healthier and younger and don't have children the same rate as other couples do," Hoch said. "Bringing in domestic partners, bringing in gay people does not add to the total cost of the plan."
The governments of West Palm Beach, Lake Worth and Palm Beach County have all recently expanded their gay rights laws. In West Palm Beach, a little more than 2 percent of the city's employees receive health benefits for their domestic partners, according to the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council statistics. In Lake Worth, it's less than 1 percent.
Harden said he knows openly gay workers but that no employees have ever asked for domestic partner benefits. The city has approximately 870 full-time employees.
Erika Slife can be reached at eslife@sun-sentinel.com or at 561-243-6690.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 18, 2006
Delray Beach· City Manager David Harden has taken a strong stance against a gay rights group's push to change the city's anti-discrimination policy or add domestic partner benefits, arguing that it would be "bad social policy" to do so.
In a two-page memo to the City Commission, Harden wrote: "Extending family benefits to domestic partners and their children on the same basis as we currently provide for spouses and their children devalues marriage by saying that families constructed on some other legal basis, other than marriage, are of equal social value."
"I think it's bad social policy," Harden said. "I think it's good social policy to encourage marriage."
He also cited studies that assert the benefits of traditional marriage and outline the health risks of gays and lesbians.
"I've tried to present it as objectively and non-politically as possible," Harden said. "I don't really have anything to add to it."
The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council will present its position at tonight's City Commission workshop. The group's founder, Rand Hoch, said the group would continue to pressure the commission to institute changes.
"The city manager is staff. He doesn't make policy. The elected officials are the ones who make policy," Hoch said.
The city's anti-discrimination clause states: "The City of Delray Beach does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services."
The Human Rights Council wants the city to add "familial status, marital status and sexual orientation" to the list of protected groups.
"Let's face it: It's a civil rights battle. It's so ridiculous for people to be fighting for something like that," said Myrna Rogovin, a Delray Beach resident and president of the local chapter of Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. "Just as other citizens are afforded these benefits, so should the gay community. It should be a non-issue."
However, Harden wrote that he believes the city "has ample protection in place for any employee or applicant who might feel that have suffered discrimination on account of their sexual orientation. If you add sexual orientation, it could be challenging to determine where to stop. For example, I understand it is well documented that both obese and short people suffer discrimination at times."
Harden, 63, who described himself as a "committed Christian" in 2003, said in an interview Monday he'd only heard of such statistics, but did not have them on hand.
The Human Rights Council also wants Delray Beach to provide current and retired employees in committed, long-term relationships the same benefits it offers married employees, regardless of sexual orientation. About 8.4 percent of Delray Beach residents live with someone not related to them by marriage or birth, and 2.5 percent of residents identify themselves as unmarried partners living together, according to statistics compiled by Hoch. He plans to provide this information to the City Commission tonight.
"Generally it's less expensive if you add in domestic partners, people who have domestic partners tend to be healthier and younger and don't have children the same rate as other couples do," Hoch said. "Bringing in domestic partners, bringing in gay people does not add to the total cost of the plan."
The governments of West Palm Beach, Lake Worth and Palm Beach County have all recently expanded their gay rights laws. In West Palm Beach, a little more than 2 percent of the city's employees receive health benefits for their domestic partners, according to the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council statistics. In Lake Worth, it's less than 1 percent.
Harden said he knows openly gay workers but that no employees have ever asked for domestic partner benefits. The city has approximately 870 full-time employees.
Erika Slife can be reached at eslife@sun-sentinel.com or at 561-243-6690.
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