Less than 10 percent of the companies headquartered in Georgia offer employee benefits to domestic partners in samegender couples, and there are only a handful of city or county governments that do so, according to Georgia Equality, an organization that works for political and economic equality for the gay and lesbian community.
"Georgia is still way ahead of other Southeastern states," said Chuck Bowen, executive director of Georgia Equality. "This isn't an issue about sexual preferences. It's about having the same benefits extended to the partner in a same-gender relationship as is extended to spouses."
Lance Rhodes was elected to the East Point City Council in January 2004 largely because of his stance on samegender domestic partner benefits. He began researching the issue a year before he ran for office; when the city applied to be designated as a city of ethics, Rhodes made certain that domestic partner benefits was included.
"We [in the gay community] expect to be held to the same standards as the entire community, and we agreed to this before we asked for benefits," Rhodes said. "Hold us as accountable as everyone else and give us the same benefits."
In January 2005, East Point became one of the first municipalities in the state to mandate benefits in domestic partnership couples for employees of the city.
"Of the 143 cities in the Georgia Municipal Association, the only other city that offers benefits for domestic partners is Atlanta," Rhodes said. "We're glad to see that it's beginning to happen more often."
Rhodes and his partner, Roger Donodeo, were also the first same-gender couple to apply for East Point's declaration of domestic partnership, a registration form that is provided by the city in which two people agree to be jointly responsible for the necessities of life.
"This is not a legal document," Rhodes said. "It is simply a declaration that shows the commitment made by gay couples, and it shows that the city of East Point values the commitment gay couples make."
The ordinance that became effective in January applies to city employees. However, some companies on the Southside have begun offering domestic partnership benefits as well.
"South Fulton Hospital has just passed its domestic partnership program and it's one of our biggest employers," Rhodes said.
The city of Atlanta began offering bene?ts to partners in same-gender couples in the mid-1990s; Fulton County and other governments have followed suit.
In the private sector, companies like EarthLink and Chamberlin, Edmonds & Associates offer benefits to partners in same-gender couples.
EarthLink has been doing so since it was founded as Mindspring in 1994 in Atlanta.
"We focus on the goal of finding the best and brightest to work for us and help us achieve our business strategy," said Staci Hagan, vice president of human resources for EarthLink Inc. "It just makes good business sense to be inclusive in our approach." Hagan said that employees complete a form stating that the partner is a dependent. Benefits include health, dental and vision coverage; the employee can choose.
"This has been a big draw for us," Hagan said. "It keeps our talent pool wide open and helps add to our innovation and spirit for change to accomplish our goals." Chamberlin Edmonds has been offering benefits since 2003.
"We make no distinction; we offer the same slate of benefits to all of our employees," said Debra Hoyt, chief people of?cer for the health care financial services firm. "Every person is treated equally."
Hoyt explained that employees may need to complete paperwork to receive the benefits, but that this may be the case for many employees - same-gender partners, single parents or parents with college-age dependents - as they complete the enrollment process for benefits. As for domestic partner benefits, she said, "It's the right, fair and equitable thing to do."
Today, more companies are voluntarily offering domestic partnership benefits to employees.
"Offering bene?ts in domestic partnerships has come a long way, although it's not as prominent in government as it is in the private sector," Bowen said. "This isn't about bedroom differences. We face the same challenges as anyone else; it's about doing the right thing."