THROUGHOUT its long history, the University has had a shameful tradition of pushing civil rights protections to the back of the bus. Slaves built the Lawn. University administrators fought hard against allowing African Americans and women to enroll, even though other universities allowed their enrollment decades earlier. And now, in 2004, the University remains one of the last remaining schools in its class that refuses to grant civil rights protections to its gay and lesbian employees. As a supporter of our cause wrote, making apologies for civil rights lapses a generation too late is becoming a University tradition that we all can do without.
Ten years ago, universities all across the country began offering domestic partner benefits to their employees. These benefits -- which are automatically afforded to the married partners of employees -- range from health insurance coverage to access to athletic facilities. The universities that offer domestic partner benefits -- including well-known schools like Harvard and Yale, and lesser known schools like Agnes Scott College of Georgiaand Coe College of Nebraska -- are in every region of the country and more schools are offering the benefits every month. Of the top 25 universities in the nation, only three do not offer the benefits: U.Va. is one, and the remaining two are both private Catholic schools (Georgetown and Notre Dame).
We established our Web site, DontGiveToUVA.com, to bring to light this important issue. U.Va.'s gay and lesbian employees are denied the same benefits afforded to the University's straight employees. This matter is simple to recognize and simple to address.
We are not the first, nor will we be the last, group to advocate for equal treatment for the University's gay and lesbian employees. Students and faculty have long sought for the changes we seek, though unfortunately, their voices have been muted or ignored. Our only interest is social equality, and we are not willing to wait another decade for President Casteen to take action on this issue. Justice delayed is justice denied.
It is a shame that the same vigor President Casteen purports to put into matters of racial equality is lagging or in fact completely absent on this matter. The inequity is clear: Men and women in lesbian and gay relationships are denied the same benefits afforded to men and women in heterosexual relationships. All that we seek is equality, nothing more and certainly nothing less.
What we are a part of is a novel approach to addressing inequality at the University. It is our view that the only way to garner the attention of the current administration is to adversely impact its fundraising. We are not naive. The University requires extensive funding, and while administrators might be quick to form a committee or hold a public forum, unless there exists a real financial interest, it is our belief that the University will not pay us any more than lip service. Our intent is to raise $100,000, to demonstrate to President Casteen that current students, faculty, alumni and community members are committed to equality. Our intent is to speak in a language that the president will hear. Our intent is to affect change.
The money we raise will serve two valuable purposes. First, it will be available to gay and lesbian employees of the University who must pay for their partners' benefits themselves. We will provide financial aid to offset the cost of paying for these benefits -- the benefits the University refuses to provide. Second, we will launch an educational campaign at the University aimed at drawing attention to this important issue. Protecting civil rights is too important for anything less.
Those who contribute to the DontGiveToUVA.com fund will pledge not to support the University financially until the policy is changed. Again, this is language that we know President Casteen can understand.
That an institution as highly regarded and ranked as the University remains unwilling to offer benefits to the domestic partners of its employees is irresponsible, unfair and discriminatory. The University, indeed any university, that prides itself with upholding the values of equality and tolerance, must certainly know better. After this campaign, may we all know better.
(Andrew Bond and Andrew Borchini are the founders of DontGiveToUVA.com. They are 2003 graduates of the College.)
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | 3 days agoThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 3 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
