Same-sex insurance the right thing to do
Editorial
If remembered for anything at all, the last decades of the twentieth century – at least for this nation – may well go down as monuments to American cynicism. Book ended by a nation’s shattered faith in the honesty and integrity of its elected officials following Watergate, we prepare to enter the new millennium poorly armed with the fallen expectations we have for both our President, and perhaps ourselves. Looks like Jerry Maguire was right. We do live in a cynical, cynical world.But maybe – just maybe – not.While no one will ever accuse us of having an overly optimistic opinion of human nature, nor find us to be zealous defenders of the mostly self-interested motivations which make the world go ’round, we find ourselves tentatively hoping that things are changing.One hopeful sign was provided by the Student Health Insurance Committee earlier this week.By recommending that a health-coverage option for same-sex couples be added to OSU’s student health insurance plan, the committee has potentially corrected an egregious injustice done gay domestic partners at OSU for years. The recommendation has finally caught up with student opinion: A 1997 poll showed that 56 percent of undergraduates supported the domestic partner coverage as compared with the 13 percent who opposed it.Wow, whod’ve thought toleration could – for once – win out over OSU’s most vocal extremists? Amazing.Of course sports fans, the committee’s stamp of approval isn’t the end of this story, far from it. In fact, this little proposal has, in reality, yet to really get off the ground.There’s still…dum,dum,dum!….the Board of Trustees! Yes folks, having negotiated the often treacherous and slippery shore of public opinion, having convinced the campus community that, gee, gay couples might just like to be treated like everyone else for once, the entire endeavor could – probably will – die at the hands of the Board.This would be a tragedy.The Board of Trustees has an opportunity here to do some real, lasting good. Not only would this proposal correct the unfair practice of excluding gay couples from the student health insurance plan, it would be a symbolic gesture to the gay community as a whole. If we, as students and as human beings, are really interested in upholding tolerance as an ideal worth striving for, steps like these must be taken to assimilate the gay community into the mainstream. This includes equal protection under the law, guaranteed freedom from discrimination, and yes, providing same-sex partners all of the insurance options afforded heterosexuals. Anything less would be a bastardization of good intentions.Although cynicism – both political and social – has infiltrated our culture to such an extent that we can actually be cynical about our feelings of cynicism, this should not blind us from the truly unselfish motivations. Such, we believe, is the case here.Let’s hope the Board of Trustees sees it like we do.
