It is no secret that domestic partners in the state of Washington lack many of the rights granted to married couples. In March 2008, Governor Christine Gregoire signed a measure into law that expands the rights given to domestic partners. After the law took effect in June 2007, domestic partners had more than 170 of the same rights as are granted to heterosexual married couples.

Despite Gregoire’s recent efforts, gay and lesbian Washington state employees with domestic partners continue to pay more for healthcare than married couples.

“It all started with a co-worker asking me why they weren’t getting paid like a married couple. That is when we decided to step up and start pursuing it,” said Althea Bradford, administrative coordinator for the UW Department of Medicine and a member of Service Employee International Union: University Queer (SEIU UQ), a union that works for the rights of gays and lesbians.

Laura Davenport, officer of the University of Washington‘s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, started SEIU UQ nine months ago.

“Laura started it as a group for gays and lesbians to learn their rights as being gay or lesbian,” said Bradford.

Ultimately, she believes these are issues that affect everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.

SEIU UQ currently has 10 active members and 30 listed members working to change the federal law that is discriminating against gay and lesbian state employees.

According to the Public Employees Benefits Board, in order to extend insurance benefits to a domestic partner, additional taxes are usually required. If a domestic partner does not qualify as an Internal Revenue Code Section 152 dependent, an imputed value is deducted quarterly from the employee’s pay check.

“It can be something like a $400 deduction. For classified employees that is an incredibly hard hit,” said Davenport. “The fed says it is not discrimination on the part of sexual orientation because they tax whether you are gay or not.”

However, unlike heterosexual domestic couples, gay couples do not have the option of marriage in Washington state.

Davenport admitted that she only returns to work for benefits. She additionally holds very traditional family values and believes in staying at home to raise her child. Unfortunately, because not all employers are forced to provide healthcare benefits to domestic partners, this is not an option available to her.

“My partner’s union does not recognize domestic partnership. It falls under federal law, so they don’t have to provide benefits to domestic partners. They don‘t believe in queer rights,” she said.

The SEIU UQ is currently working to change these issues with a political focus in mind. Their goal is to get the right state officials elected into office. Laura believes that state officials with progressive views on labor issues will also be progressive on other issues as well.

“All they have to do is change the law and changing the law means changing beliefs and that is one of the hardest things you can possibly do,” said Davenport. “Some people’s minds can’t be changed.”

In the future, SEIU UQ also wants to work with human resources at the UW to better educate gay and lesbian employees about their benefits.

When asked how long she expects before changes to take effect, Davenport said she didn’t know, but optimsm still lingers.

“I honestly would’ve said I’d never see the day queers could marry anywhere,” she said with a glint of hope in her voice,

Reach reporter Ioana Albu at news@dailyuw.com.