Newsgroups: bit.listserv.gaynet
Date:         Mon, 7 Sep 1992 01:17:02 EDT
From:         gaynet@GALLIFREY.KENT.EDU
Subject:      GayNet Digest Volume 6 Issue 11

In this issue:
                      Leshner wins spousal rights
                         Did my account expire?
                      WHAT is GAYNET Digest ??????
           Gay BBS in Quebec province, via Telnet (INTERNET)
                               wondering
                             new subscribe
                       gaynet digest volume 5 is

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Owen Plowman <owen@ca.oracle.com>
Subject: Leshner wins spousal rights
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 13:47:44 EDT

More on the ruling concerning spousal rights ...

- ----------------------------------------------------
XTRA!  Sep 4, 1992
#205

reprinted without permission

LESHNER WINS SPOUSAL RIGHTS
an ontario human rights tribunal rules that gay & lesbian partners
are in "conjugal relationships"

Story by Eleanor Brown.

     The Ontario Human Rights Code was rewritten last Tuesday when Crown
Attorney Michael Leshner won his four-year battle for full same-sex spousal
benefits.
     "We won everything," a jubilant Leshner proclaimed at a Sep 1 press
conference.
     "I'm a prosecutor, and it's not every day a senior government lawyer
gets to say to his boss, 'Howie, you got it wrong.'"
     Under Attorney General Howard Hampton, Ontario's NDP [New Democractic
Party] Government had opposed the extension of pension survivor's benefits to
same-sex spouses.
     "The Code was amended," says Leshner.  "As it existed yesterday -- it
doesn't exist anymore."
     In a 160-page ruling, a three member tribunal appointed to hear Leshner's
case included gay and lesbian partnerships in the marital status category of
"conjugal relationship" by ordering the words "of the same sex" stricken from
the code.
     All businesses which provide spousal benefits for heterosexual employees
are now required to do the same for lesbian and gay employees. And the
provincial government must extend its same-sex family benefits to include
survivor pensions.
     Leshner called the ruling historic, saying no other North American
jurisdiction has such a far-reaching policy.
     Hampton spokesperson Barbara Krever said no decision has been made
whether to appeal. However, Hampton announced in a press release that Ontario
would now support a suit brought against the federal government by the
Canadian Union of Public Employees to change the relevant parts of the Income
Tax Act.
     The provincial government extended full family benefit coverage to
same-sex spouses of Ontario public service employees on Jan 1, 1991. That
included eye and dental care and bereavement leave. But according to a 1990
press release, survivor pensions couldn't be included because of provisions in
the federal Income Tax Act. Ontario Management Board chair Frances Lankin said
at the time that "the matter will be pursued further as part of this
government's review of all pertinent laws and policies pertaining to spousal
benefits".
     The human rights ruling, however, says the federal government can't be
used an excuse to perpetuate discrimination.
     Says lawyer Katherine van Rensburg, who represented Leshner in the
proceeding: "They argued that it was the federal government [stopping extended
benefits]. That's not good enough. This says you have to provide a plan, and
then you fight your own battle with the federal government."
     The Ontario Human Rights Code has named sexual orientation as a prohibited
ground of discrimination since 1986, but "marital status" was defined so as
to exclude lesbians and gays. The definition has now been changed.
     It's estimated that 79 provincial laws are affected by the ruling.
     The Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario has been waging a
publicity campaign for new same-sex spousal benefits legislation. Spokesperson
Tom Warner says Lankin's 18-month-old promise is due. "Today the status of
that review is now known and the government refuses to indicate what action it
will be taking on this issue."
     CLGRO is distributing flyers with the Attorney General's phone number
(416.326.4000). The flyers ask readers to call in and urge the government not
to appeal the decision.
     The provincial NDP's apparent foot-dragging on legislation to force the
private sector into same-sex benefits sparked rumours that closeted
ministerial executive assistants were opposing the idea. Bob Gallagher,
assistant to Metro [Toronto] Downtown Ward councillor Olivia Chow, says that's
a bit far-fetched. "They've hired a lot of lesbians and gays. So they [the
government] are asking them, and it's not a very high priority for them. So
the government thinks that it's not a high priority for the rest of the
community."
     Leshner had been fighting the Attorney General's office since 1988.
In August 1990 he filed his human rights complaint.
     He is in court Sep 29 to fight a disciplinary action for "speaking to
a newspaper."
--
Owen Plowman 					      Oracle Corporation Canada
Director, Core Technology Marketing		      40 King Street West
						      Suite 4900, Box 117
(416) 866-8062 x. 250				      Toronto, Ontario
(oplowman@ca.oracle.com)			      M5H 3Y2

------------------------------

Date: 06 Sep 92 13:54:41 EDT
From: Fred Steffy <76040.1100@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Did my account expire?

I haven't received any GayNet messages for the last few days.  Since I know
that fairies can't stay quiet that long :) I'm wondering if my account was
dropped.  Please reinstate me.  Thank you.

------------------------------

From: ggagnon@rouyn-ogc.hydro.qc.ca (Guy Gagnon)
Subject: WHAT is GAYNET Digest ??????
Summary: WHAT is Gaynet Digest ?
Organization: Hydro-Quebec, Montreal, Canada
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 18:15:54 GMT

SOmebody can say to me what is Gaynet Digest ?
How to have it :)

ggagnon@rouyn-ogc.hydro.qc.ca

------------------------------

From: ggagnon@rouyn-ogc.hydro.qc.ca (Guy Gagnon)
Subject: Gay BBS in Quebec province, via Telnet (INTERNET)
Summary: GAY BBS in  Quebec province, via  telnet (INTERNET)
Organization: Hydro-Quebec, Montreal, Canada
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 18:18:11 GMT

I'm searching for a list of GAY BBS in Quebec province
(at least Montreal, Quebec) that i can access
with telnet command , accross Internet lan


Thank a lot :)

ggagnon@rouyn-ogc.hydro.qc

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 14:02:01 -0500
From: William Robboy <wrobboy@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu>

Newsgroups: bit.listserv.gaynet