There were several reasons for Hillsborough County Commissioners to vote for the domestic partners registry. For openers, it’s the civil-rights thing to do. But pragmatically speaking, it would keep the county on pace with nearby governments and help Hillsborough stay competitive in the high-stakes game of corporate-recruiting. Diversity outlier is not exactly a marketing mantra.
But the vote, 4-3, went the other way, as we know. Social conservatives were satisfied.
But in the interest of straight talk, let’s acknowledge a relatively non-ideological reason to look askance at this version of a DPR that has nothing to do with gay and lesbian rights. It has to do with straight-couple rights.
Because gays and lesbians cannot legally marry in Florida, they, by definition, can’t have access to all the rights enjoyed by married couples. No matter how committed they are to each other. Therefore, a DPR can help address that disparity. It would be fair.
But a straight couple living together obviously doesn’t face such a societal barrier. They can opt to marry or not–depending on their level of commitment. If the commitment stops shy of marriage, then so do the rights that accompany traditional marriage. That’s also fair.