NEWS RELEASE
Thursday, May 27, 2004

EQUALITY MARYLAND
Contact: Dan Furmansky, Executive Director
Phone:    Office 410-685-6567
Cell    301-461-4900
Email:  dan@equalitymaryland.org

TWO MARYLAND JURISDICTIONS AFFIRM 'EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK' MANTRA

Hyattsville and Howard County Will Offer Domestic Partner Benefits to Employees

BALTIMORE -- The city of Hyattsville and Howard County are the two latest Maryland jurisdictions to approve domestic partner benefits for employees, just weeks after a similar decision by the city of College Park. Equality Maryland, Maryland's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, praised the decisions of Howard County Executive James N Robey (D) and the Hyattsville City Council to offer equal pay for equal work to county and city employees. On Monday, the Hyattsville City Council voted 9-1 in favor of domestic partner benefits for city employees. Last week, Howard County Executive James N Robey (D) issued an executive order to begin offering domestic partner benefits to county employees.

"This has been wonderfully educational for those of us advocating for this, as well as for county elected officials," said Colette Roberts, chair of Howard County PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), which spearheaded the efforts to advocate for the proposed benefits. "We commend County Executive Robey for his leadership. All of the evidence we presented to the council really showed that the fiscal impact is minimal and that having domestic partner benefits is simply good business practice. "

The Hyattsville legislation was sponsored by Council President Stuart Eisenberg (Ward 2) and seconded by Vice President Paula Perry (Ward 4). Councilmember Chris Currie (Ward 1) was the only negative vote. The benefits will apply to same-gender and opposite-gender domestic partners of employees. In Howard County, eligible coverage would go to partners and partner's children of same-sex employees.

Other Maryland jurisdictions that offer equal benefits include Montgomery County, and the cities of Baltimore, Rockville, College Park, Greenbelt and Takoma Park.

"I'm proud to be a Hyattsville resident," said Equality Maryland member David Bobbitt, who is Chairman of the Planning Commission for the City of Hyattsville . "I hope the flurry of Maryland jurisdictions moving in this direction will spur Prince George's County and the State of Maryland to take similar action and finally provide equal compensation for equal work to all employees." 

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Equality Maryland is Maryland's largest civil rights organization, focused on making life better for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of Maryland.   Equality Maryland works to secure and protect the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Marylanders by promoting legislative initiatives on the state, county and municipal levels and educating the public about the issues faced by our diverse community.

Equality Maryland can be found online at www.equalitymaryland.org