Comments on: Pets. Not Partners.

By: Pax Nortona - A Blog by Joel Sax » Pets Over (Gay and Lesbian) People

Pax Nortona - A Blog by Joel Sax » Pets Over (Gay and Lesbian) People — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:19:08 +0000

[...] to employees in any case, cruel in the extreme to deny them when these pet benefits are offered. Republic of T asked “Your pet is a member of your family, but your partner is not?” Apparently so in [...]

By: Joel

Joel — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:46:06 +0000

This scrapes the bottom of the barrel for offensiveness. This only reinforces the notion that, in gay relationships, human beings are only joy toys.

By: Liz D.

Liz D. — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:00:53 +0000

Read Dean Dad's take on what happened at Palm Beach Community College at Confessions of a Community College Dean. Sounds about right to me. That does not, however, obviate the offensiveness of the Board's actions.

By: Lucas

Lucas — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:53:38 +0000

I suppose those same-sex partners who are into Master-Pet play can obtain those benefits by claiming the partner as his “pet”. Though I reckon the vet would have a hard time justifying to the insurance, treating a bipedal mammalian humanoid species as a dog, but hey, whatever works.

By: exelizabeth

exelizabeth — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:48:42 +0000

My cat recently had some large vet bills, and I had some people recommend that I get insurance for him, but my boyfriend doesn’t even have health insurance, so I feel like pet insurance is a little ridiculous.

I joke with him sometimes that he could marry me and get good benefits. Once he asked me, “Couldn’t we just register as domestic partners?” (My employer, also a university, provides the same benefits to same-sex registered domestic partners as to married couples). And I responded, NO, of COURSE not, that only reason you’d be willing to do that is that it mean less than marriage, and that is exactly the problem with civil unions and domestic partnerships. As a straight couple, we must and should get married if we want those benefits.

Anyway, I just thought that was a very vivid and personal illustration of the “gut” difference between marriage and civil unions/domestic partnerships. My boyfriend and I aren’t willing to make the commitment of marriage at this point, but people who are should be able to.