By Donna Talarico Weekender Correspondent
Within every bustling metropolis therein lie smaller communities, and not just geographically speaking, but communities made of groups of people.Today, the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) community in Northeast Pennsylvania is quite significant.
In this issue, we will explore what it is like to be “out†in NEPA. We’ll talk to John Dawe, executive director of the NEPA Rainbow Alliance, Scott Preisel, an HIV educator and board member and past president of NEPA Pride, and even clergy who are supportive of the gay community.
The changing climate of NEPA: Does homophobia or discrimination exist?
Scott Preisel, who is out at work and in the community, says discrimination lies not so much in social settings, but more within corporate policies. Even that is changing, however.
“I haven’t really had too much experience with discrimination in the community or workplace,†he said. “There’s not a lot of hostility. (The gay community in NEPA) is not in a bad place.â€
The prejudice he has encountered was out of ignorance, not malice, the most notable being a troubling experience he had at a local hospital. Preisel was in the emergency room, and a nurse denied his partner of 10 years access to visit him. Meanwhile, other patients had several relatives at their bedside, he observed.
“She asked how he was related to me, and he said, ‘partner.’ She said, ‘Well, that’s not family,†said Preisel. “That was her personal feeling, not the hospital’s. When the doctor got wind of it, he let him visit me.â€
Preisel later received a formal apology from the hospital, and the hospital made a formal change to their official visitation policy.
“Businesses and agencies are becoming more aware (of the gay community) and are addressing things that may be discriminatory by amending policies,†he said. He reiterates that policies weren’t drawn up to exclude the GLBT community or to be malicious; it’s just that perhaps the situation was never encountered.
Preisel says that NEPA is experiencing many cultural changes, such as the influx of the Latino population in lower Luzerne County. He says that any “different†group can enrich the culture of the area, but says that acceptance doesn’t always come right away. There may be a period of resentment.
Preisel says that the GLBT community, the Latinos in Hazleton or even the French city his sister lives in that has an influx of Algerians may experience discrimination necessarily because of culture, but rather for simply being an outsider, as in “Hey, you’re not from around here.â€
“I think people are willing to accept you once they know you. It seems that if you are not from this area, it generates hostility - you’re an outsider,†said the Cleveland native.
“It is very easy to hate someone you know nothing about. But once you get to know someone, it’s harder to say that all people like XYZ are wrong.â€
Domestic partner benefits promote workplace diversity
“My partner of 10 years and I cannot get car insurance together because we are two unrelated people living under one roof,†said Preisel. “So the same privilege of a married couple putting two cars on one policy and saving money is not available to us.â€
He added that with tax time coming around again, he and his partner will not - or cannot - file together. Preisel said that he and his partner met with Matt Anderson, a local financial planner, to talk about survivor rights. When someone in a marriage passes away, the surviving spouse does not have to pay inheritance taxes. However, in a domestic partnership, the survivor does, just as if he were a stranger. Financial advisors like Anderson can assist those in same-sex domestic partnerships in making plans to be sure the surviving partner is taken care of.
Healthcare benefits
Another concern for members of the GLBT community living in domestic partnership relationships is being covered under a partner’s health insurance. However, this is something else, as Preisel acknowledged, that’s being changed due to awareness.
Lotus (now part of IBM) was the first major company to offer “spousal equivalent†benefits to those in same-sex domestic partnerships. Now, according to the Urban Institute, over half of Fortune 500 companies and 7400 other companies have joined, among them, the “big three†automakers. Monica Emerson, director of diversity for Daimler-Chrysler, told the Washington Post last year that offering the new benefits, aside from being “the right thing to do,†was an effort to remain competitive in attracting the best workers.
GLBT-Friendly businesses open doors to change
“It’s a really good feeling to know there is a safe person, a safe space,†said Preisel of walking into a business and seeing an Ally sticker posted. “There are local colleges with religious affiliations that have them … I am very impressed with that.â€
The NEPA Rainbow Alliance and Lehigh Valley Pride publishes an annual 60-page Pride Guide, a showcase of gay-friendly businesses. Preisel says these ally business make a difference.
“When a business supports a pride group, in turn we support them back. The ally businesses are saying, ‘Hey, we welcome you and your partner and your business.’ That is definitely a step in the right direction.â€
He adds, “I don’t have to be worried about who I am (when going into these businesses). Covering it up can be bad for your mental health,†he says.
John Dawe, publisher of the Rainbow Journal and executive director of the NEPA Rainbow Alliance said in a recent Journal story, “The gay and lesbian community is the largest ‘minority’ community in the region, and often the most disenfranchised. One bad experience because a salesperson, waiter, receptionist makes a not-so-gay-friendly comment, and it doesn’t take long for the rest of the community to proverbially boycott that establishment.â€
PlanetOut Inc. owns several GLBT magazines and websites. Its media kit explains the gay community has higher spending power and more brand loyalty than their heterosexual counterparts. It cites that:
• Gay people are twice as likely to be in management positions
• Twice as likely to have household income over $250,000
• Gay adults are less likely to be parents (meaning more discretionary income and more leisure time)
• 94% of gays and lesbians go out of their way to purchases products and services marketed directly toward them.
Seeing the GLBT community as a lucrative market led to major companies creating advertising campaigns specific to the community.
Churches are gay-friendly, too
It’s not just businesses that are welcoming the GLBT community. Father Daniel Gunn of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre says his place of worship recognizes domestic partnerships.
“We recognize gay couples. We list them in our bulletins as a couple,†he said, adding that about 10 percent of his congregation is of the GLBT community.
Same-Sex marriages: The heated debate
In 2004, President George W. Bush said in regards to a proposed Constitutional amendment: “The union of a man and a woman is the most enduring human institution, honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith. Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society.â€
The debate on same-sex marriage has been a heated one for many years, with outspoken supporters on either side. Without a national law, the decision is up to the state. In 1996, Pennsylvania adopted the PA Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits same-sex couples from being legally married in the state. It will also not recognize same-sex marriages entered into in another state or country.
What’s the gripe with same-sex marriage being prohibited? Equality Advocates identified 683 Pennsylvania laws and 1,138 federal laws provide benefits or protections to married couples that are not available to same-sex couples. Despite DOMA, there are ways for same-sex couples to have some of these rights, privileges and responsibilities through obtaining legal forms, such as a Power of Attorney and wills.
A board member of the NEPA Pride was married in Massachusetts. They phoned Preisel on their trip home.
“He said, ‘We just drove over the state line. We’re not married anymore!’ That’s silly. They’ve been together twenty-something years. (Getting married) is a nice thing to be able to do,†he said, adding that it doesn’t necessarily have to be religious - it’s just civil; a way to get the same legal rights as opposite-sex couples,†Preisel said.
The commitment ceremony
While DOMA prohibits legal marriage, same-sex couples are taking part in commitment ceremonies, a public affirmation of the couple’s commitment to one another. These commitment ceremonies can be very much like a wedding with rings, reception and all - there is just no legal document.
The Woodlands in Plains Township advertises that it hosts commitment ceremonies and receptions. Wedding resource websites show that there are plenty of non-denominational ministers who also will preside over commitment ceremonies. Gay-friendly churches, such as Father Gunn’s could also preside and host the ceremony.
“There are certain ceremonies under certain circumstances (we can preside over),†said Father Gunn. He invites couples thinking about a commitment ceremony to talk to him individually.
Local Groups serving needs of GLBT community and allies
• NEPA Rainbow Alliance - www.gaynepa.com
The NEPA Rainbow Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy and education organization. The group hosts a centralized website to inform the community of GLBT news/issues and offers links to support and social services. Also, the Alliance publishes the Rainbow Journal, Pride Guide, hosts several annual social events. Executive Director John Dawe says 2007 will be another year of growth for the Alliance.
“Plans are underway for a summer expo event and fall film festival,†said Dawe. “On the advocacy side we will still work towards passing an inclusive non-discrimination act in Harrisburg, and combat any constitutional amendment limiting same-sex couples from state-recognized domestic partnerships.â€
He adds that the best thing friends and allies can do to show your support is joining the group’s e-mail list and being a MySpace friend at www.myspace.com/gaynepa.
• Pride of NEPA - www.prideofnepa.org
A social organization providing a meeting and social room, a diverse lending library inside Pride Place at ArtsYouniverse, outdoor recreational events and more.
• Other Links:
www.equalitypa.org
www.pflag.org
www.libertypa.org
