CSEA LGBT Committee fights for rights and inclusion There’s a renewed and exciting sense of pride at CSEA. “We are a very diverse union and President (Danny) Donohue Sullivan has formed the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Committee because he wants our members to acknowledge that we have members who are LGBT and they are part of our family,” said CSEA Executive Vice President Mary Sullivan. “The group is very focused on advancing the rights of members of this community but also in being a vehicle to educate and continue our collective fights for justice and equality,” said Kate Luscombe, the committee’s staff advisor. Standing strong and proud What began as a caucus of a handful of LGBT members some years ago has evolved into a fullfledged committee that’s been involved in the passage of historic legislation and measures to promote and protect LGBT rights at home and in the workplace. Whether it was the passage of the marriage equality bill in New York or helping to defeat the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) at the federal level, LGBT members and their allies have fought side by side for justice, equal rights and fairness. LGBT members and allies also marched, for the first time in CSEA history, as a union contingent in the nationally renowned Pride Parade in New York City. “This year, we marched down Fifth Avenue with our CSEA banner and everybody felt so proud that we were finally being recognized as a union that is supporting LGBT members and was proud of it,” said Neil Kirby, chair of the CSEA Statewide LGBT Committee and a principal appellate court clerk in the Metropolitan Region. Kirby was joined at the parade by Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley, as well as members from Long Island and Westchester County and many other allies. “These are our co-workers. They are in our union and they built our union,” said Sullivan. “We shouldn’t judge.” Fighting for change Education has played an important role in demystifying and debunking pervasive stereotypes and rumors about the LGBT community. “We let people know what the issues were,” said Kirby. “People thought that we all had the same rights as domestic partners like health benefit rights for our partners or spouses.” As a caucus, they initially met every year and eventually proposed a resolution at the Annual Delegates Meeting on marriage equality. It was a struggle, but the resolution was approved. “A lot of people felt that it didn’t belong as an issue in the union, but we convinced them that it was a worker issue and it passed,” said Kirby. The second resolution was support of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), CSEA Metropolitan Region members and their supporters, including Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley, third from right, march in the New York City Pride Parade in late June. CSEA Statewide LGBT Committee Chair Neil Kirby is at far right. a bill that added the category of gender identity and expression to already existing state human rights laws. That resolution also passed. At the upcoming Annual Delegates Meeting, the CSEA LGBT Committee is planning to host a workshop and a caucus meeting. They’ve invited speakers from Empire State Pride to explain the effects of the recent and historic Supreme Court decision to strike down DOMA. There are about 1,000 rights and protections that gay and lesbian married couples are currently denied. But that is starting to change. The U.S. “These are our co-workers. They are in our union and they built our union. We shouldn’t judge.” Department of Labor recently issued guidelines to inform workers, employers and the courts about changes under the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). According to the new guidelines, the FMLA now protects gay and lesbian married couples. Educating and advocating Kirby is working with the statewide committee to create and promote region LGBT committees. There are representatives from each region on the statewide committee. Together, and working with allies, they will continue to educate, advocate and organize members around issues and concerns affecting the LGBT community particularly in the workplace. The committee is also exploring the creation of ‘safe zones’ in every region. It would be a safe place where members can go for assistance or referrals on personal matters, work or family related issues. Members with questions about the committee should contact their region offices. “We want to let every member know that this committee exists and that the union is there for them,” said Kirby. — David Galarza Members with questions about the CSEA LGBT Committee should contact their region offices. September 2013 The Work Force 7
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