Gov. Bob Taft assured the gap between straight and gay couples will continue to grow when he signed a bill on Friday banning same-sex marriages.
Many disgruntled Ohioans, including Brett Beemyn, the coordinator of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Services at Ohio State, have vocalized their discontent with Ohio’s new law. Beemyn said he predicted the governor would sign the bill and attributes the governor’s actions towards protecting conservative, outdated values.
“The governor said that his highest priority was creating jobs and improving the dismal state of the economy, but signing this law shows that his most important consideration is catering to the closed-minded individuals who seek to impose their intolerant values on all Ohio residents,” Beemyn said.
Ohio became the 38th state to incorporate the Defense of Marriage law into their state policy. Some claim that this insinuates Ohio’s political climate is only conducive towards favoring heterosexual couples.
“This legislation sends a message that Ohio does not respect diversity and is a hostile climate for the GLBT people,” Beemyn said.
In a statement, Taft challenged the accusations made about the law discriminating gays and stressed the focus of the law was to re-establish the institution of marriage.
“This is not a law of intolerance,” Taft said. “The singular purpose is to reaffirm the existing Ohio law with respect to our most basic, rooted and time-honored institution: marriage between a man and woman.”
Although most individuals are concerned the law creates a perceived political posture aimed against homosexual couples, Matt Monta, a sophomore in political science, said people should also understand the law’s negative repercussions will affect those hoping to acquire domestic partner benefits.
“I definitely think this law is aimed at homosexuals, but the law has also created an environment that prevents heterosexuals from obtaining rights,” Monta said. “Basically, what the university would be saying to potential employees is that they can work here, but we will not support them.”
Other state-funded universities, such as Ohio University, will also be exempt from offering their employees domestic partner benefits. This problematic situation has opened the door to other private and Big Ten schools who utilize their domestic partner benefits as a competitive tool in hiring a high-caliber faculty.
Douglas Whaley, a professor of law, said he is concerned gay and lesbian OSU faculty members will begin looking elsewhere for universites providing adequate state-provided benefits.
“This means that if a very talented and much-desired gay person is offered two jobs – one at Ohio State and the other at Michigan – hello Blue,” Whaley said.
Presently, OSU and the University of Wisconsin are the only Big Ten universities not entitled to offer their employees domestic partner benefits. Kathleen Pecknold, the assistant provost and director of academic resources at the University of Illinois, said that university implemented the domestic partner benefits plan last year and is pleased with the overall response.
“We felt it was needed in order to be competitive with other institutions and of course, we felt it was the right thing to do,” Pecknold said. “It lets people know that we are a diverse and welcoming community.”
