Safety First: Convention Planners Consider LGBT Legal Respect In Cities/States
Intersection of Law and Policy
Published 07/30/08
You, your partner and your children pack up to travel to your company's annual convention. You're anticipating a pleasant week of business and family time. But on the second night of your stay, your partner is rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. At the hospital, staff block you from visiting your partner before and after surgery.
Traveling to another state for business can bring up difficulties like this for same-sex couples and their children. That's why many companies and organizations have rightly begun to consider whether same-sex couples will feel protected by the laws of a particular city or state chosen for an annual convention or event.
The American Psychological Association, for example, moved its 2006 and 2007 governance meetings from Virginia to Washington, DC. The APA Board of Directors authorized the change in venue as a direct result of Virginia's staunchly anti-LGBT "Affirmation of Marriage Act." The board's decision reflected the concern that some APA members might suffer if health care staff refused to honor same-sex couples' legal documents, such as medical powers of attorney. Based on similar concerns regarding all states with discriminatory laws, the American Political Science Association leadership met in a special session to revise the organization's site-selection policy for conventions. They decided that the legal safety of same-sex couples should be a factor in convention planning. That means cities seeking convention business will more likely seek out local LGBT groups to help in finding ways to make same-sex couples feel more secure within their borders.
In their deliberations, the APSA leadership relied in part on Lambda Legal's "Safety Scale." Lambda Legal created the scale to help groups determine which states are best for meetings based on each state's legal respect for same-sex relationships. When national organizations and companies create proactive policies that consider protections for same-sex couples in their convention planning procedures, we know we have come a long way in the fight for equality.
Until all states rank highest on the Safety Scale, couples need to make sure they've filled out all of the legal documents available to protect themselves, but luckily now they've got more and more organizations and companies on their side.
