Although Wisconsin may have voted yes to the gay marriage ban only two years ago, at least Dane County is ready to correct the state's shortsighted decision to strip equal rights from domestic partners in same-sex marriage.
On Thursday, Sept. 17, the Dane County Board will vote to decide if companies that hold contracts with the county will be required to pay benefits for same-sex couples and other non-married domestic partners these companies employ. If passed, the county would create a registry of all domestic or same-sex partners, allowing them to file for any health care or benefits that would be awarded the typical married partner.
The Dane County Board has taken a baby step in the right direction of equality for same-sex and domestic partners. With their proposal and its likely passing on Thursday, Dane County will witness the first step in what will hopefully be a continuing trend of more and more rights being put in place for same-sex and domestic partners. Wisconsin's current treatment of these couples is, without question, a form of discrimination, and even the Dane County Board's recent actions are not even close to compensatory.
If Wisconsin ever hopes to restore its status as a progressive state, it must set aside any theological views over what constitutes marriage"" and allow same-sex marriage to take place. Denying any group of people the same basic rights as the majority is wrong, no matter which way it is spun. The Dane County Board has cracked the surface. Who will make the next decisive blow?
