Recently, I heard from a man who was going through a tough and unfair process with his domestic partner. His partner does, and has for a long time, work at a grocery store chain. This store will not permit these two kind gentlemen health insurance rights – despite the new civil union law. You would know the name if you recognize it. They live in Missouri but this is a chain that has locations in Illinois. Due to the Illinois CIvil Union Act, gays and lesbians who enter into a civil union obtain many of the same rights as heterosexual couples. Some of those rights include:
-a duty of joint responsibility for family debts
-rights regarding child and baby adoptions
-presumption that both people are the parents to babies born in the relationship
-court dissolved civil union
-financial support (like alimony) after a breakup
-custody and visitation rights
-domestic crime protection
-rights when it comes to medical treatment and death
-hospital visitation rights and medical decision rights
-rights to compensation for harms and losses for a partner’s death or injury
-will inheritance rights
-same protection against duty to repay bills if the partner dies
-employment benefits for spouses (including health insurance for state employees)
-ability to file joint tax returns
-property rights
-employment rights including pension rights for police officer and fireman partners
-spousal privilege rights in litigation
-some veteran rights
The organization Lambda Legal provides a lot of counseling to people who need answers to questions about these things. I am happy to see that individuals will receive rights in personal injury lawsuits when their partners are killed at the hands of someone else’s carelessness. But I notice that Illinois gays and lesbians will only be protected with regard to wrongful death cases. What about serious injuries that do not cause death such as serious motorcycle, tractor trailer, semi truck, or car accident cases? And what about those in the State of Missouri – should it be that where you live dictates whether or not you have rights in this country?
I am disgusted that this grocery store chain’s decision. If you live in Illinois or Missouri and have been denied insurance coverage rights from your employer because your spouse is not of a different sex, I would like to hear from you. I can be reached at (314) 660-0919 or lindsay@injurylawmissouri.com