Last week, my partner of five years inquired into his eligibility to take FMLA to care for me during my next surgery later this summer since we learned last time around that it is much easier on me to have him do so than my other family members. While the Family and Medical Leave Act is a federal law that does not list domestic partners as a qualifying person in cases of caring for a family member, some companies do extend these benefits to domestic partners voluntarily. Not Craig's company, though. Nor my company as it turns out (I checked out of curiosity).
Let me just be clear about this: Britney Spears got hitched the first time around in an impulsive quickie Vegas wedding. Her marriage lasted 72 hours, but in that 72 hours, her husband automatically qualified for federal job protection so he could care for her in case of a serious medical condition. Craig and I have been together for five years, but he does not qualify to take care of me (and if you need a reminder of how serious this surgery is, please click here). HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT HER DRUNKEN MARRIAGE REPRESENTED SOME SORT OF SANCTITY IN NEED OF PROTECTION, BUT MY RELATIONSHIP DOESN'T?!
Craig and I pay taxes just like everyone else, but we are denied
more than 1,100 Federal benefits that Darva Conger instantly received by marrying a total stranger on a reality television show. The fight for civil marriage rights isn't about subverting anyone's religious beliefs, but rather is about equal access to federal benefits and protections for which we all pay taxes. Thanks to people like Mary Cheney, Craig could lose his job if he takes unauthorized time off to care for me, so my mother who works in food service and lives 3 hours away is going to have to take unpaid time from her low-wage job to do it for him.
My beef with Mary Cheney isn't that she loves her father despite his connection to a rampantly bigoted group of people. I have a problem with the fact that Mary Cheney took a six-figure salary to work on the Bush/Cheney campaign knowing full well that she was working to elect an administration that has and will continue to wage war on her family and ours. Hate yourself for who you are all you want, lady, but don't sell the rest of us out while you live a life of privilege with your girlfriend, benefiting off our backs.
Hey Mary, your dad expresses my sentiments for you and your cronies right about now.
And now back to our regularly scheduled celebrity fluff, already in progress.
2 comments:
First of all, kudos for bringing Darva Conger back into the collective blog-o-sphere consiousness. There should be a VH1 special dedicated to her if there isn't already. And second, get yourself out of Kentucky and move here to the mecca of San Francisco where not only could Craig take time off to take care of you but reassignment surgery for transsexual City employees is covered on their health plan. Viva la San Francisco!
They really cover that?! Fabulous! I always swore I would marry my friend Holly if only she would get a penis implant, but she claims the cost is prohibitive. San Francisco here we come!
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