Public universities go to battle in favor of same-sex benefits

Dec 4, 2003 / 22:00 pm

The Thomas More Law Center has questioned the use of public funds by universities to advance the homosexual agenda after the ACLU, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University requested permission to file briefs in support of public funding of insurance benefits to same-sex partners.

Their requests were made in an effort to support the Ann Arbor Public Schools, which was sued by the Thomas More Law Center for providing insurance benefits to the same-sex partners of its employees.

The Center filed its lawsuit in September on behalf of 17 Michigan residents, claiming that providing insurance benefits to same-sex partners is an attempt to institutionalize same-sex marriage in violation of Michigan's Defense of Marriage Act.

The Act, passed in 1996, defines marriage as "inherently a unique relationship between a man and a woman," and maintains that the state "has a special interest in encouraging, supporting, and protecting that unique relationship."

"The people of Michigan should be outraged that their hard earned money paid out in taxes is being used to fund the homosexual agenda in their state,” said Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Law Center in a press release issued yesterday. “Despite the clear will of the people of Michigan, today's cultural elites are determined to shove same-sex marriage down our throats and force taxpayers to pay for it."

"The Ann Arbor Public School's same-sex domestic partnership has all the trappings of marriage except the title,” Thompson continued. “It is an incremental strategy to legitimize same-sex marriages contrary to Michigan's Defense of Marriage Act, and we intend to stop it."

In addition to the ACLU, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University, the court heard requests yesterday from the Women's Law Association and the Washtenaw County Medical Society, all of which support the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

The lawsuit is just one of several efforts by the Center to defend traditional marriage and block homosexual activists from acquiring the benefits of marriage that would result in the de-facto legalization of same-sex marriage.

The Center has worked to stop transsexual marriage in Kansas, homosexual adoption in Nebraska, and is involved in major legal battles over the rights of students and faith-based organizations to reject homosexual demands for recognition of their lifestyles and unions.

The Law Center is a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.