CA Firms not fazed by Same-sex Decisions

August 3, 2005
CALIFORNIA
Firms Not Fazed by Same-Sex Decision
Lenders, insurers and other businesses say they already were giving gay couples equal treatment.

By Molly Selvin, Times Staff Writer

Monday's state Supreme Court ruling broadening the rights of registered domestic partners in California will have little effect on most businesses, experts said Tuesday.

The unanimous decision held that businesses providing special services, discounts or other privileges to married couples must do the same for same-sex couples registered with the state as domestic partners.

On Monday, Jon Davidson, an attorney with Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund who argued the case, said he expected the ruling to force mortgage lenders, insurers and fitness clubs to equalize their treatment of gay and married couples.

But many of those businesses said they had eliminated policies favoring married couples, either years ago in response to changing values, or because of two state laws that took effect Jan. 1 mandating equal treatment for the partners of gay clients or customers.

The court ruled in favor of a lesbian couple who sued a San Diego country club after it denied the member's partner golfing privileges routinely given to spouses. The justices agreed that the club was violating a state civil rights law by engaging in "impermissible marital status discrimination."
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latimes.com : Business, August 3, 2005