Students sign petition for same-sex benefits

By ALEXANDRA RODRIGUEZ
Collegian Staff Writer

When Penn State President Graham Spanier declined to adopt domestic partner benefits earlier this semester, Penn State community members who supported the proposal said they would not give up their quest.

They have kept that promise.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community and its allies, including several student organizations, are continuing to petition for domestic partner benefits.

"We're hoping it will help out and would let Penn State decide for itself if it wants domestic partner benefits instead of the state legislators threatening to reduce funding," said Samantha Chirillo (junior-microbiology), a member of the Penn State chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

She said the petition will be sent to state Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, and state Reps. Lynn Herman, R-Centre, and Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, who expressed disapproval of domestic partner benefits.

"They can see that there are many people (who) want Penn State to be allowed to implement domestic partner benefits," said Heather Solimini, political co-director for Lambda Student Alliance.

The petition campaign began Feb. 8 and is being organized by Steve Goodreau (graduate-anthropology) and Tony North (graduate-developmental psychology). The petition drive will continue for the rest of the semester, North said.

"I don't know if it will change things in the short term, but in the long term I think you have to do things like this to build awareness and gradually change enough people's minds," he said. "I think things will change eventually. Not immediately, but eventually."

So far the group has collected more than 1,400 signatures through petition sheets around campus and downtown State College, as well as on their World Wide Web site (www.personal.psu.edu/smg12), North added.

Alex Cadman, president of Students Reinforcing Adherence for General Heterosexual Tradition (STRAIGHT), said the reason for the petition's success is because people do not want to seem homophobic, so they feel obligated to sign. He added gaining equal benefits for lesbian and gay couples is not the sole reason for running the petition.

"I believe that it is not really about the benefits or about marriage, but of the homosexual community trying to legitimize something that they, and most people, know is morally wrong," he said.

Maurel Merette (freshman-liberal arts) said he signed the petition in support because he believes everyone is equal.

"If we can be equal racially," he said, "we can be equal that way, too."