Kate Schneider/ THE POST Brian McCoy, a secretarial associate in admissions, and his husband Rodney are strong supporters of GLOBE's campaign to bring financial benefits for all types of domestic partners.

Brian McCoy, a secretarial associate in the admissions office at Ohio University, could save almost $300 per month if his husband Rodney was covered by his benefit plan.

Brian and Rodney have a certificate stating they were religiously married two years ago in a Marietta church.

"We had a wedding and followed the same guidelines," Brian said.

But OU offers full benefits only to heterosexual married partners of all university faculty and staff. The benefit plan does not include domestic partners.

McCoy said OU's policy denies discrimination based on sexual orientation, yet benefits are denied to non-married couples.

"OU promotes diversity, yet we won't provide benefits," he said. "If you talk the talk, then walk the walk."

With the exception of Ohio State University, none of Ohio's public colleges and universities offer domestic partner health care benefits.

The Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Employees of OU, a faculty and staff member organization, started as an attempt to advocate the interests of gay, lesbian and bisexual faculty and staff. GLOBE is lobbying for the implementation of domestic partner benefits for all employees.

Efforts have gained momentum as research on the issue grows more in-depth, McCoy said.

The original proposal for such a change in the faculty policy began in September 1998, when the idea surfaced at a Faculty Senate meeting. Bill Holmes, head of the senate finance committee, said the proposal was handled by his committee.

A sub-committee was formed to develop a report about domestic partners and faculty and staff benefits. By Spring Quarter, a resolution was introduced that documented and highlighted three main parts of the issue.

Holmes said the addition of domestic partner benefits is an important issue for the senate to consider.

"We have already lost some (employees)," Holmes said. "They see what we offer in benefits and go elsewhere."

The first point of the resolution said a procedure was needed for "documenting domestic partnerships." One suggestion was to implement the system used at OSU, which requires domestic partners to sign an affidavit registering the partnership with University Human Resources. But the term "domestic partner" has yet to be defined by OU officials.

The second point determined that the university's policy should be revised to allow employees "to use sick leave for the health care or death of a domestic partner." This clause also would require the partnership to be registered with University Human Resources.

The third point stated that "Ohio University should support activities through the University Human Resources office to investigate the feasibility of establishing and implementing additional domestic partner benefits."

The resolution containing these arguments was introduced to the Faculty Senate on May 17, and also was introduced to OU's Classified Senate and the Administrative Senate.

"We're trying to get equal support between the senates." McCoy said.

While the Faculty Senate is concentrating on the specifics of the resolution, the Administrative Senate is concentrating on the research aspects of the proposed change.

"Each senate has perspectives and viewpoints," said Hub Burton, vice president of communications and marketing.

Burton said the issue still is in its discussion stages.

The next step is to present the resolution to OU Provost Sharon Brehm. Pending her approval, the resolution then will be directed to OU President Robert Glidden. Glidden must then turn the resolution over to the Board of Trustees, who will make a decision. But many other factors, such as the Ohio Board of Regents, are influential in the final decision, Holmes said.

Burton said he does not foresee any adverse effects to the university based on the addition of domestic partner benefits to the existing health care plan, but he thinks additional studies are necessary.

"OU is dedicated to listening to all of their concerns," he said.

McCoy said he hopes his efforts will lead to changes at other state universities as well. Members of GLOBEwill coordinate a meeting with similar organizations of Ohio's 14 major colleges and universities to further discuss the issue. The meeting will take place in Columbus next quarter.

"We want to be a model for other public institutions to positively influence decisions, so that all fourteen institutions in Ohio can grant benefits for domestic partners," he said.