Boynton Beach Mayor Cites Dictionary's Definition of Marriage As Reason to Vote Against Gay Rights
By Chris Joseph, Broward-Palm Beach New Times Staff Writer
By Chris Joseph, Broward-Palm Beach New Times Staff Writer
September 17, 2014
After receiving a report on workplace equality from the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council back in July, on Tuesday evening the Boynton Beach City Commission agreed to give employees with domestic partners or same-sex spouses benefits. Boynton Beach Mayor Jerry Taylor, however, gave the one dissenting vote, expressing that the way the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines marriage is not in accordance to gay marriage and, therefore, they should not be awarded the same benefits as those who are in straight marriages.
After receiving a report on workplace equality from the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council back in July, on Tuesday evening the Boynton Beach City Commission agreed to give employees with domestic partners or same-sex spouses benefits. Boynton Beach Mayor Jerry Taylor, however, gave the one dissenting vote, expressing that the way the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines marriage is not in accordance to gay marriage and, therefore, they should not be awarded the same benefits as those who are in straight marriages.
Still,
the vote -- which ended in 4-1 -- means that those in domestic
relationships will be offered the same family benefits currently
offered to municipal employees whose marriages are recognized by the
state.
Benefits
include medical, dental, and life insurance, as well as giving the
employees family sick leave, bereavement leave, and family-medical
leave.
Last
night's yay votes came from Vice Mayor Joe Casello, Commissioners
David Merker, Mack McCray, and Michael Fitzpatrick with the one
decanting vote coming from Mayor Taylor.
Taylor
expressed his religious beliefs as reason for giving the dissenting
vote, and railed against the proposals while referring to the
definition of marriage from the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
"Jerry
Taylor needs to get a more current dictionary," President and Founder
of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Rand Hoch, said in
response to Taylor's diatribe. "I Googled the Merriam-Webster
dictionary's definition of marriage on the internet, and the online
definition included 'the state of being united to a person of the same
sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage'. But then, I
doubt Mayor Taylor's dictionary includes the words 'Googled', 'online'
or even 'internet.'"
The
report sent to Mayor Taylor and city commissioners in July was a
comprehensive look on workplace equality. In addition to the benefits,
the commissioners also directed the city attorney to draft an
LGBT-inclusive Civil Rights Ordinance, which will be put under
consideration later this year.
According
to the report, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council detailed how
the city could adopt "policies providing City employees with domestic
partners the same family benefits as are provided to employees with
spouses, including medical insurance, dental insurance, COBRA and
health insurance continuation coverage, life insurance, accidental
death and dismemberment insurance, family sick leave, bereavement
leave, family-medical leave, the employee assistance plan and as any
other family benefits offered by the City."
The report specifically asked the city to adopt an LGBT-inclusive Civil Rights Ordinance.
Hoch,
Florida's first openly- gay judge, says that the city won't suffer any
major financial distress over offering these benefits.
"Since
Boynton Beach does not pay any portion of the insurance premium for
employees' dependents, these benefits will only require a minimal
impact on the City's budget," Hoch said in a press release in July.
Just
last August, the Town Council of Palm Beach voted to extend benefits
for domestic partnerships. The fight for those benefits to implemented
was a six year battle waged by
attorney W. Trent Steele, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.
attorney W. Trent Steele, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.
Despite
push-back from some leaders, the projected cost for the Town of Palm
Beach for domestic partnership benefits, which went into effect in
January, will cost just $72,510.
Back in March, Hoch predicted that gay marriage would become legal in Florida by 2016. This could be yet another step towards seeing that prediction come to fruition.
"The
Boynton Beach vice mayor and the city commissioners have taken a
pro-family stance this evening by extending the same family benefits to
all municipal employees," Hoch said via the press release following the
commissioners' vote Tuesday night.
Throughout the summer, the PBCHRC Voters Alliance engaged in voter
identification, early voting and absentee ballot campaigns. While
voter turnout throughout Palm Beach County was only 12%, as a result of
our efforts, the turnout by Palm Beach County's LGBT voters and our
allies was significantly stronger. 
Directors. In addition to her work for PBCHRC, Meredith serves as Vice
President of Florida NOW, Vice President of Florida National Women's
Political Caucus (NWPC), President of South Florida Women's Health
Foundation of South Florida, and as the Southeast Regional Director
of NOW. As a national board member, she oversees NOW chapters in seen
states. To read more about Meredith - and other members of PBCHRC's
Board of Directors - click 