Support to extend benefits to LGBTQ faculty, staff shown by administrators, students, staff

Suzanne Scott, a professor in the New Century College, took the initiative in authoring the Faculty Senate resolution supporting equal health benefits for LGBTQ faculty and staff. Following the passage of the resolution, President Ángel Cabrera wrote a blog post encouraging politicians to take action on the issue and Student Government passed a resolution supporting the cause (photo by Amy Rose).

In the months leading up to the November state elections, Mason’s faculty senate, president and student government spoke out about their desire to see health benefits extended fully to LGBTQ faculty and staff.

Under Virginia’s current constitution, Mason cannot extend health benefits to the partners and families of LGBTQ faculty and staff members because of how the commonwealth defines marriage.

State policies prohibit the university from using state money for practices that conflict with state law.

Currently, all faculty and staff are eligible for health insurance if they are a part-or full-time, salaried, classified employee or a regular, full- or part-time salaried faculty member.

Since university health insurance programs are provided by the state, Mason cannot legally extend benefits to the partners and families of LGBTQ faculty and staff without a change in Virginia’s constitution.

In order to offer LGBTQ faculty and staff health benefits for partners and families, the Virginia constitution would have to be amended.

An amendment may be proposed in the Senate or the House of Delegates. If the proposal were to receive a majority vote, it would continue on the General Assembly and finally onto the Virginia voters.

Alternatively, the General Assembly may call a convention to address the issue of a constitutional amendment. The proposed amendment will then be voted on by the citizens of Virginia.

Though the Mason Board of Visitors was one of the univer­sity entities to pass a non-discrimination policy against LGBTQ employees and students in 2010, the board has not taken a stance or gotten involved on the issue of extending health insurance benefits.

“In my view, even if it does come before the board, it is not something the board should get involved with. It’s an admin­istrative matter,” said Dan Clemente, Rector of the Board of Visitors. “The Board of Visitors is appointed by the governor. We take an oath and we’re endorsed officials of the state. We’re bound by what the law is, we don’t make the law.”

Though the president, faculty and students have shown support for this measure, Clemente warns Mason to be cautious in pursuing the issue with state legislators.

“We have to be mindful at the university level - faculty, board and administration - that since we’re a state university, we depend on approval from the state,” Clemente said. “When you think about the fact that we have a number of very conservative members of the legislature, when you come up with issues like this you can turn certain legislators against you.”

Advocates for the extension argue that the proposed changes to the healthcare benefits keep Mason competitive in recruit­ing and retaining LGBTQ faculty and staff members, especially from rivals in D.C. and Maryland who offer full benefits to their staff.

The Faculty Senate, an elected board of faculty representa­tives, spoke to those same concerns when they unanimously passed a resolution in support of the extension of health insurance benefits on Oct. 9.

Suzanne Scott, a professor of integrative studies in the New Century College, authored the resolution with help from other sympathetic faculty members.

“We want the best teachers and researchers in Virginia,” Scott said. “People are not thinking about us and assume that the commonwealth is retrogressive in that way. If we offer benefits, we may attract more LGBTQ faculty and staff.”

Scott, who is openly gay and has been with her partner for over 30 years, recognized the economic and competitive benefits a change in the health insurance plans would provide, but noted that the measure would hold a deeper meaning for many in the LGBTQ community.

“It’s really more of a moral thing,” Scott said. “A lot of us feel that not matter how kind Mason is, and Mason is a wonderful place for someone to be out as a gay or lesbian, the fact that we don’t receive all the same benefits does affect the morale of the community.”

President Ángel Cabrera spoke out in support of the Faculty Senate resolution on his blog, encouraging the incoming governor and 2014 session of Virginia’s General Assembly to address the issue of faculty and staff health benefits.

“The negative implications of this situation are perhaps greater for George Mason University than for other univer­sities in Virginia given our proximity to Washington D.C. and Maryland, where same-sex married couples receive the same benefits as any other married couple,” Cabrera wrote in his blog post.

A little more than a week after Cabrera’s post, Student Government voted to show their support on the same topic, passing a resolution with 21 voting in favor, four in opposition and five abstentions.

“[The resolution passed by faculty senate] is an initiative of some faculty members who are trying to get this accomplished by providing President Cabrera with tools to advocate at his level,” said Aaron Yohai, the student senator who authored the resolution, which was modeled after the faculty senate version. “Part of that effort is to have similar resolutions passed by the student senate and staff senate.”

The Student Government resolution will be shared with state legislators in January during the annual Mason Lobbies trip to Richmond, where students campaign for more funding and benefits for the university.

“This is definitely a huge issue that impacts not only the faculty and staff, but students and culture,” said Kevin Jackson, the Student Government undersecretary for state government affairs. “It impacts who wants to come to Mason as a public Virginia institution. It impacts the caliber of faculty and staff we are able to hire. It makes a more competitive institution if this is finally implemented.”