Friday, June 08, 2012
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Jan.6, 2008. www.cucwp.org. Told in alternating voices; a space between paragraphs indicates a change of voice.
On June 20th, 2007, almost 4 years to the day after I called in late to class in order to show up in Bronx County Court to hastily sign the paper work for our first Domestic Partnership Certificate, Julie and I received our second Domestic Partnership. The unceremonious process had started months earlier, in April, when we took a day of our spring break to go hunting, first for the appropriate paperwork for the County of Westchester and later for a notary public to authorize the document. It was two weeks later when we finally found the notary, our form by then crumpled and misshapen from spending a week floating around Julie’s shoulder bag. We stashed the signed, notarized document in my glove box, assuming that I’d eventually make it to the Westchester County Court House to file our paper and pay the requisite fees. It wasn’t until I had to visit the Court House to dispute a traffic ticket that I had the time to visit the County Clerk. So what benefits do we reap from our Domestic Partnership?
Well – it’s tough to say. Depending on the town we’re in, the benefits, if any, will vary. Of course, for each locality, a brand new certificate becomes necessary – imagine being married in Westchester, but not in Putnam etc. – and you begin to get the idea. With a New York City domestic partnership certificate, we were entitled to a smattering of rights assuming that either or both of us were residents and/or employees of the City of New York. One of the supposed benefits of this arrangement was full healthcare coverage for both partners under the City of New York Employee Benefits Plan, so long as one of us was employed by the City of New York. We’ll elaborate on that in a bit.
Uncertain of our official domestic partnership status after both leaving our jobs in New York City 2 years ago, we were compelled to seek out a second domestic partnership issued by the County of Westchester.
And what have we gained from this? We have only found two benefits that directly affect us; the right to visit each other if hospitalized at a county (not town or privately) owned hospital and the ability to apply for a Family Parks Pass to the Westchester County Park System. In addition to these, Andy Spano recently made the “possibility” of health care available through the county for the registered domestic partners of county employees – however the language of his statement was vague at best and relied heavily on the word “may” – as in may provide, may allow, may guarantee, may or may not. It does not impact us, as it does not apply to public school teachers in Westchester County. Neither one of us can receive domestic partnership benefits from our employers. In Christi’s case, it’s because HealthNet does not allow businesses with fewer than fifty employees to extend partnership benefits to individuals; in my case because our Union did not see fit to make it a priority in last year’s contract negotiation.
In 2005 I left my job in NYC to begin a teaching job in suburban Westchester, while Christi continued her employment with the New York City Department of Education. When it became clear that my new health insurance plan would require me to “pay in” a bi-weekly contribution (whereas my former city plan was absolutely free and covered by the City of New York Employee Benefits Plan) – it seemed only logical for me to opt out of this new insurance program and seek shelter under the umbrella of Christi’s remaining City of New York policy, which for all intents and purposes was supposed to welcome me with open arms as her official registered domestic partner.
In order to make this happen I requested all of the appropriate paper work, before the October deadline, and began filling out forms. While going through the packet, I came across a form for the United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund that walks you through the process of completing each page. I quote:
Step 5-Section E: Spouse/Domestic Partner Information - Please remember if married, you must attach a photocopy of your marriage certificate. - For Domestic Partnerships you must attach the following:
IF YOU RESIDE IN NYC: - Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program AND/OR - Domestic Partnership Registration Certificate
IF YOU RESIDE OUTSIDE NYC: - Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program AND/OR - Alternative Affidavit of Domestic Partnership
PLEASE NOTE FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS ONLY: if you are NOT applying for city health benefits, you must also submit a "DECLARATION OF FINANCIAL INTERDEPENDENCE" form.
Right off the bat, married couples need to provide one photocopy of a document, please. Me, I have no idea what an "Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program" is... so I pick up the phone.
"Hello, UFT Welfare Fund."
"Hi. I'm trying to fill out my enrollment packet, and I'm not sure what an "Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program" is. Can you help me?"
"Sure. We don't handle that. You need to call this number."
"Ok, now, is the letter mandatory, or is just the Registration Certificate sufficient?"
"No sweetie, you need to have both."
"Oh, because the packet says 'and/or' so I thought I might only need one."
"Just call this number and they'll help you out."
"Ok, thanks. bye.” I dial the second number.
"Yes?"
"Hello, is this the NYC Employee Benefits Program office?"
"Yeah."
"OK. I'm trying to get information on the 'Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program' that I need to submit to the UFT Welfare Fund."
"Uh-hu"
"Can you help me."
"Yeah."
"Ok... What do I need to do?"
"What are you tryin' to do?"
"I need to submit the letter in order to put my domestic partner on my health care for the City of New York."
"OK, so you want to put him on you plan."
"Ummmm... yeah..."
"Ok, we'll send you an approval packet and you gotta fill that out."
"What does the approval packet consist of?"
"You gotta have it to get the letter."
"And what does the letter mean?"
"Listen honey, you just fill it out and get it notarized and send it back to us."
"Could you please tell me what the purpose of this packet is?"
Needless to say, the conversation got me nowhere, so I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor, however, so amazingly belligerent, even suggesting that my sole intention was probably to enroll my mother or sister, that I asked to speak to HER supervisor and, after about 25 minutes, managed to uncover the fact that, despite giving out Domestic Partnership certificates in the City of New York, The City Of New York does not consider a Domestic Partnership certificate to be satisfactory proof of a Domestic Partnership. In order to enroll Julie, I would need to provide bank records, credit card statements, lease agreements and utility bills in both our names, along with the ORIGINAL copy of our Domestic Partnership Certificate, 2 photocopies and a Notarized affidavit stating that all stated information is true. All told, this would have cost about 50 dollars (if not more) that married couples wouldn't have to pay, and then it was possible that New York City could DENY the domestic partnership benefits for not being enough of a domestic partnership despite having the Domestic Partnership Certificate from the city of New York. The lady was, however, sympathetic enough to promise that she would mail the appropriate forms in an unmarked envelope so that nobody would have to know what was inside. In fact, she added, she does this sort of thing all the time.
When the forms finally arrived in their unmarked envelope, Christi and I were puzzled by a page long disclaimer explaining in all kinds of legalese, that once we were co-insured, that because of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (Kudos to the previous Democratic Administration... btw) any medical costs incurred by the secondary policy holder would become the taxable income of the primary insurance holder. Hypothetically speaking, if I were to require 50k worth of chemo, that amount would be added to Christi’s income and thusly taxed.
Another unmarked envelope arrived in the mail exactly a month ago today, on St. Nicholas Day- a day when a stern Santa-like figure, dressed in red robes, traditionally visits good children to deliver treats of candy and nuts and naughty children to deliver a light beating. After my mom passed away in August of 2006, the same month that we purchased our first home together, Julie and I decided that it had become imperative that we begin compiling legal documents to approximate a handful of the crucial rights bestowed upon those entering a civil marriage. Sitting now beside my computer are two Powers of Attorney, two Health Care Proxies, two Health Information Release Forms, two Disposition of Decedents’ Remains forms, two New York Living Wills and two Last Wills and Testaments. The number of lines on which we have to sign is astounding; you only have to sign a marriage certificate once.
So, in talking about domestic partnerships and marriage equality, why aren’t we up here waxing poetic about how much we love each other? Christi and I have known each other for over ten years, and have lived together for at least eight. We could stand here today, painting marriage equality as being about the simple need to have our love and commitment recognized and validated, but as Unitarians, and a Welcoming Congregation at that, recognition and validation are already a given here. Take this issue into the community at large, however, and it is death and taxes which really get people’s attention; the extra penalties levied on health care coverage, the loss of a pension , the denial of a deathbed visitation in the hallway of an Intensive Care Unit, the grieving partner unable to collect the ashes of his beloved. Such tragedies regularly invoke in even the most tepid of supporters, those who are squeamish about notions of "gay marriage" and made uncomfortable by Tango the penguins, a recognition of inequality and the stirrings of outrage.
*******************************************************
On June 20th, 2007, almost 4 years to the day after I called in late to class in order to show up in Bronx County Court to hastily sign the paper work for our first Domestic Partnership Certificate, Julie and I received our second Domestic Partnership. The unceremonious process had started months earlier, in April, when we took a day of our spring break to go hunting, first for the appropriate paperwork for the County of Westchester and later for a notary public to authorize the document. It was two weeks later when we finally found the notary, our form by then crumpled and misshapen from spending a week floating around Julie’s shoulder bag. We stashed the signed, notarized document in my glove box, assuming that I’d eventually make it to the Westchester County Court House to file our paper and pay the requisite fees. It wasn’t until I had to visit the Court House to dispute a traffic ticket that I had the time to visit the County Clerk. So what benefits do we reap from our Domestic Partnership?
Well – it’s tough to say. Depending on the town we’re in, the benefits, if any, will vary. Of course, for each locality, a brand new certificate becomes necessary – imagine being married in Westchester, but not in Putnam etc. – and you begin to get the idea. With a New York City domestic partnership certificate, we were entitled to a smattering of rights assuming that either or both of us were residents and/or employees of the City of New York. One of the supposed benefits of this arrangement was full healthcare coverage for both partners under the City of New York Employee Benefits Plan, so long as one of us was employed by the City of New York. We’ll elaborate on that in a bit.
Uncertain of our official domestic partnership status after both leaving our jobs in New York City 2 years ago, we were compelled to seek out a second domestic partnership issued by the County of Westchester.
And what have we gained from this? We have only found two benefits that directly affect us; the right to visit each other if hospitalized at a county (not town or privately) owned hospital and the ability to apply for a Family Parks Pass to the Westchester County Park System. In addition to these, Andy Spano recently made the “possibility” of health care available through the county for the registered domestic partners of county employees – however the language of his statement was vague at best and relied heavily on the word “may” – as in may provide, may allow, may guarantee, may or may not. It does not impact us, as it does not apply to public school teachers in Westchester County. Neither one of us can receive domestic partnership benefits from our employers. In Christi’s case, it’s because HealthNet does not allow businesses with fewer than fifty employees to extend partnership benefits to individuals; in my case because our Union did not see fit to make it a priority in last year’s contract negotiation.
In 2005 I left my job in NYC to begin a teaching job in suburban Westchester, while Christi continued her employment with the New York City Department of Education. When it became clear that my new health insurance plan would require me to “pay in” a bi-weekly contribution (whereas my former city plan was absolutely free and covered by the City of New York Employee Benefits Plan) – it seemed only logical for me to opt out of this new insurance program and seek shelter under the umbrella of Christi’s remaining City of New York policy, which for all intents and purposes was supposed to welcome me with open arms as her official registered domestic partner.
In order to make this happen I requested all of the appropriate paper work, before the October deadline, and began filling out forms. While going through the packet, I came across a form for the United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund that walks you through the process of completing each page. I quote:
Step 5-Section E: Spouse/Domestic Partner Information - Please remember if married, you must attach a photocopy of your marriage certificate. - For Domestic Partnerships you must attach the following:
IF YOU RESIDE IN NYC: - Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program AND/OR - Domestic Partnership Registration Certificate
IF YOU RESIDE OUTSIDE NYC: - Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program AND/OR - Alternative Affidavit of Domestic Partnership
PLEASE NOTE FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS ONLY: if you are NOT applying for city health benefits, you must also submit a "DECLARATION OF FINANCIAL INTERDEPENDENCE" form.
Right off the bat, married couples need to provide one photocopy of a document, please. Me, I have no idea what an "Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program" is... so I pick up the phone.
"Hello, UFT Welfare Fund."
"Hi. I'm trying to fill out my enrollment packet, and I'm not sure what an "Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program" is. Can you help me?"
"Sure. We don't handle that. You need to call this number."
"Ok, now, is the letter mandatory, or is just the Registration Certificate sufficient?"
"No sweetie, you need to have both."
"Oh, because the packet says 'and/or' so I thought I might only need one."
"Just call this number and they'll help you out."
"Ok, thanks. bye.” I dial the second number.
"Yes?"
"Hello, is this the NYC Employee Benefits Program office?"
"Yeah."
"OK. I'm trying to get information on the 'Original approval letter issued by the NYC Employee Benefits Program' that I need to submit to the UFT Welfare Fund."
"Uh-hu"
"Can you help me."
"Yeah."
"Ok... What do I need to do?"
"What are you tryin' to do?"
"I need to submit the letter in order to put my domestic partner on my health care for the City of New York."
"OK, so you want to put him on you plan."
"Ummmm... yeah..."
"Ok, we'll send you an approval packet and you gotta fill that out."
"What does the approval packet consist of?"
"You gotta have it to get the letter."
"And what does the letter mean?"
"Listen honey, you just fill it out and get it notarized and send it back to us."
"Could you please tell me what the purpose of this packet is?"
Needless to say, the conversation got me nowhere, so I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor, however, so amazingly belligerent, even suggesting that my sole intention was probably to enroll my mother or sister, that I asked to speak to HER supervisor and, after about 25 minutes, managed to uncover the fact that, despite giving out Domestic Partnership certificates in the City of New York, The City Of New York does not consider a Domestic Partnership certificate to be satisfactory proof of a Domestic Partnership. In order to enroll Julie, I would need to provide bank records, credit card statements, lease agreements and utility bills in both our names, along with the ORIGINAL copy of our Domestic Partnership Certificate, 2 photocopies and a Notarized affidavit stating that all stated information is true. All told, this would have cost about 50 dollars (if not more) that married couples wouldn't have to pay, and then it was possible that New York City could DENY the domestic partnership benefits for not being enough of a domestic partnership despite having the Domestic Partnership Certificate from the city of New York. The lady was, however, sympathetic enough to promise that she would mail the appropriate forms in an unmarked envelope so that nobody would have to know what was inside. In fact, she added, she does this sort of thing all the time.
When the forms finally arrived in their unmarked envelope, Christi and I were puzzled by a page long disclaimer explaining in all kinds of legalese, that once we were co-insured, that because of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (Kudos to the previous Democratic Administration... btw) any medical costs incurred by the secondary policy holder would become the taxable income of the primary insurance holder. Hypothetically speaking, if I were to require 50k worth of chemo, that amount would be added to Christi’s income and thusly taxed.
Another unmarked envelope arrived in the mail exactly a month ago today, on St. Nicholas Day- a day when a stern Santa-like figure, dressed in red robes, traditionally visits good children to deliver treats of candy and nuts and naughty children to deliver a light beating. After my mom passed away in August of 2006, the same month that we purchased our first home together, Julie and I decided that it had become imperative that we begin compiling legal documents to approximate a handful of the crucial rights bestowed upon those entering a civil marriage. Sitting now beside my computer are two Powers of Attorney, two Health Care Proxies, two Health Information Release Forms, two Disposition of Decedents’ Remains forms, two New York Living Wills and two Last Wills and Testaments. The number of lines on which we have to sign is astounding; you only have to sign a marriage certificate once.
So, in talking about domestic partnerships and marriage equality, why aren’t we up here waxing poetic about how much we love each other? Christi and I have known each other for over ten years, and have lived together for at least eight. We could stand here today, painting marriage equality as being about the simple need to have our love and commitment recognized and validated, but as Unitarians, and a Welcoming Congregation at that, recognition and validation are already a given here. Take this issue into the community at large, however, and it is death and taxes which really get people’s attention; the extra penalties levied on health care coverage, the loss of a pension , the denial of a deathbed visitation in the hallway of an Intensive Care Unit, the grieving partner unable to collect the ashes of his beloved. Such tragedies regularly invoke in even the most tepid of supporters, those who are squeamish about notions of "gay marriage" and made uncomfortable by Tango the penguins, a recognition of inequality and the stirrings of outrage.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
God strikes again!
Do students have the right to speak freely in a school newspaper? Not according to Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. They do, however, have the right to harass eachother freely without the school stepping in--- so long as the harassement takes place in the name of religion!
"A high school student can pursue nominal damages from an eastern Kentucky school district over its required anti-harassment training, an appeals court ruled Friday.
Judge Karen Nelson Moore, joined by Judge John R. Adams, wrote that the allegation of a policy stifling free speech is enough to allow Morrison to seek damages. To make his case, the judges said, Morrison must show that the policy would "deter a person of ordinary firmness" from exercising free-speech rights.
Morrison sued the school district claiming that the mandatory anti-harassment training threatened him with punishment for expressing religious beliefs in opposition to homosexuality. Morrison is a professed Christian who believes his religion requires him to speak out against what he sees as behavior that doesn't comport with his understanding of Christian morality.
The policy was later changed to allow students to opt out of the training and exempt speech that would normally be protected off campus."
Hopefully this will be overturned on appeal!
"A high school student can pursue nominal damages from an eastern Kentucky school district over its required anti-harassment training, an appeals court ruled Friday.
Judge Karen Nelson Moore, joined by Judge John R. Adams, wrote that the allegation of a policy stifling free speech is enough to allow Morrison to seek damages. To make his case, the judges said, Morrison must show that the policy would "deter a person of ordinary firmness" from exercising free-speech rights.
Morrison sued the school district claiming that the mandatory anti-harassment training threatened him with punishment for expressing religious beliefs in opposition to homosexuality. Morrison is a professed Christian who believes his religion requires him to speak out against what he sees as behavior that doesn't comport with his understanding of Christian morality.
The policy was later changed to allow students to opt out of the training and exempt speech that would normally be protected off campus."
Hopefully this will be overturned on appeal!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
PRIDE IN THE PULPIT PRESENTS:
HUDSON VALLEY MULTI FAITH ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION!!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
2:30 - 6:30 pm
At the Community Unitarian Church
468 Rosedale Ave.White Plains, NY
10605-5419
914-946-1660 www.cucwp.org
$10 suggested donation--Register to attend!!!!!
This roundtable will create a network of supportive congregations and religious leaders to discuss and better advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender(LGBT) New Yorkers and their families. Let's cometogether and make our faith communities truly open and welcoming!
Featured panelist will include: Rev. Ray Bagnulo, Palisades Presbyterian Church Rev. Deb Morra, Community Unitarian Church Rev. Joe Agne, Memorial United Methodist Church RoseAnn Hermann, Hudson Valley Marriage Ambassador
Roundtable Workshops:* Seeking the Inclusive Spirit: Journeys into Faith* and Resources for Clergy & Leaders: Outreach,*
Educate and Activate the LGBT Community in Your Congregation
*Resources for Religious Educators
To register for the roundtable contact Rev. Dámaris E. Ortega, Pride in the Pulpit Coordinatorat 212-627-0305, ext. 106 or dortega@prideagenda.org.
HUDSON VALLEY MULTI FAITH ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION!!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
2:30 - 6:30 pm
At the Community Unitarian Church
468 Rosedale Ave.White Plains, NY
10605-5419
914-946-1660 www.cucwp.org
$10 suggested donation--Register to attend!!!!!
This roundtable will create a network of supportive congregations and religious leaders to discuss and better advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender(LGBT) New Yorkers and their families. Let's cometogether and make our faith communities truly open and welcoming!
Featured panelist will include: Rev. Ray Bagnulo, Palisades Presbyterian Church Rev. Deb Morra, Community Unitarian Church Rev. Joe Agne, Memorial United Methodist Church RoseAnn Hermann, Hudson Valley Marriage Ambassador
Roundtable Workshops:* Seeking the Inclusive Spirit: Journeys into Faith* and Resources for Clergy & Leaders: Outreach,*
Educate and Activate the LGBT Community in Your Congregation
*Resources for Religious Educators
To register for the roundtable contact Rev. Dámaris E. Ortega, Pride in the Pulpit Coordinatorat 212-627-0305, ext. 106 or dortega@prideagenda.org.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Take 2...Again...
Well, seeing as I had to visit the local County Court I figured I might as well take that folded up, notarized paper that has been sitting on my glove box for months and bring it to the County Clerk. About 25 mintes and 65 dollars later we have Domestic Partnerhsip #2. I forget... is this something worth celebrating?
Monday, June 18, 2007
Health-Net
This is a new one... I think my school has the best excuse so far for not offering Domestic Partner benefits. Their reason?
"We'd love to, but our insurance company won't let us."
That's right! The wonderful company that is Health Net will not let the companies it insures offer insurance to the Domestic Partners of their employees. And I thought I'd heard them all!
"We'd love to, but our insurance company won't let us."
That's right! The wonderful company that is Health Net will not let the companies it insures offer insurance to the Domestic Partners of their employees. And I thought I'd heard them all!
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Priorities
Well, Domestic Partnerhsip Paperwork #2 is still laying, increasingly crumpled, on the passenger seat of my car. I've meant to get it to the County Clerk's Office every Wednesday for the past few weeks, but something invariably comes up that is far more important than getting no rights.
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