Unmarried Couple Want Benefits, Too

Excerpted from Unmarried Couple Want Benefits, Too, by Curt Woodward, published Aug 23, 2006, by Associated Press:

By Curt Woodward

One of the first tests for Washington state’s new gay civil rights law has an intriguing twist: The complaint was filed by a heterosexual woman.

The state’s discrimination watchdogs are investigating the case, which claims unmarried straight people should get the same domestic partner benefits as their gay and lesbian co-workers.

…The complaint, filed last week, is one of four that have spawned full-fledged investigations under the sexual orientation section of Washington’s anti-discrimination law.It was signed by Sandi Scott-Moore, a Redmond-based employee of manufacturer Honeywell International. Scott-Moore claims health insurance coverage for her male partner was denied because the unmarried couple are not of the same gender.

Honeywell spokesman Robert Ferris said the company does provide health benefits for the partners of its gay and lesbian employees and has a zero-tolerance stand on discrimination. But the company disagrees with Scott-Moore, he said in a statement.

Continue reading at Seattle PI…