Playing catch up
Same-sex benefits should be installed

Southern Methodist University will join more than 150 universities Jan. 1, 2002, to extend medical benefits and reduced tuition to the same-sex partners of its employees.

The list of universities with similar policies currently includes schools, such as Duke University, Wake Forest University and Rice University.

Absent from the list is TCU.

TCU, under the leadership of Chancellor Michael Ferrari, has committed itself to rising above the competition and strengthening its reputation as a university.

With new building projects, an endowment in excess of $940 million and reaccredidation in the near future, TCU is well on its way to achieving its goals — goals made possible by the dedicated 1,300 faculty and staff members that keep the university running smoothly.

But where in the future are the benefits for same-sex couples?

TCU has missed a golden opportunity to increase its appeal to talented individuals from around the nation who could help bring TCU to the next level.

Chancellor Ferrari said this week that granting benefits to gay employees’ partners shouldn’t be ruled out, but he also said that a proposal can’t be initiated directly by him. Instead, it must go through the normal process, including review by the Faculty Senate, Staff Assembly and the Student Government Association, he said.

It’s time for TCU to become a trendsetter.

TCU hasn’t been afraid of change in the past, so there is no reason to approach equal benefits for its gay employees with trepidation.

It wasn’t so long ago in this country that other minorities were the victims of discrimination in the workplace. It took great strides and social movements to correct the situations and major companies and institutions have been apologizing ever since.

Gays are the individuals who are now being discriminated against. It’s time TCU recognizes that discrimination and does something about it, so they won’t be the ones left apologizing years into the future.

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