As a leader progressive education UW-Madison should have been the first Big Ten school and one of the first in the nation to guarantee health insurance to partners of gay and lesbian faculty. Instead, it is currently the only school in the conference not to offer such benefits.
This is an embarrassment to the institution and should not continue any longer. By continuing to deny members of the LGBT community such a benefit, the UW is being forced back from its tradition of spearheading social reforms and from the march toward equality.
This is not, however, the UW's fault. The UW System is currently fighting for every public dollar available and is contending with the state to secure the money necessary for its continued vitality. Budget restraints are making many UW-Madison employees wary of staffing cuts and lower salaries. With a rollback in faculty and classes cut, expanding health insurance coverage has slipped as a priority.
The LGBT community also has a greater fight at the state level. With amendments banning same-sex marriage passing in state after state, the Wisconsin Legislature is also considering legislation of the same kind. If such an amendment is brought before the Legislature, it could very well pass and go on to override Gov. Jim Doyle's veto. While that issue may be decided in the coming session, the UW must contend with its own difficulties.
By not extending health insurance to same-sex couples, the state is shooting itself in the foot. It is creating an atmosphere that is unwelcome to a wide range of candidates. If possible incoming faculty with domestic partners are looking at the Big Ten, the UW has just dropped to the bottom of possible choices.
Penn State University was the other holdout, but it will be offering insurance to domestic partners for the spring semester. However, that comparison is cold comfort for many same-sex couples without benefits.
Currently the UW System Inclusivity Initiative on Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning People is taking up the fight for domestic partner benefits. The initiative has the support of the UW Board of Regents and could offer an acceptable compensational package for same-sex couples.
Hopefully this initiative will provide some insurance for same-sex couples. However, it is only one step toward the desired end.
The state should not pass an amendment banning same-sex marriage, and the university should lead the fight to ensure benefits for all couples. In the meantime, it is unfortunate and disgraceful that the UW is the last university in the Big Ten not to offer the benefits it should.
