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The American Fertility Association Blog
“Fags Like You”
August 20, 2008 - Wednesday
Posted by Lisa
I’ve been the help line coordinator for The AFA for three years now, people call me for support and information when they need help. I’m happy to be the voice that they hear when they need to reach out and connect with a person who understands. I think I bring compassion to my job; I hope so.
For what it’s worth, I’m also a heterosexual woman, I have a wonderful husband and a beautiful daughter and a nutty puppy named Cooper. I guess you would say we’re a typical family.
But the man on the phone today, the anonymous angry voice who yelled at me for ten seconds and then hung up without any interest in my response, didn’t know any of that. This man told me that he holds a blue cross blue shield insurance policy and he is thrilled with Honda’s discriminatory stand against LGBT patients. He said to me, “We have to do everything we can to stop FAGS LIKE YOU from having families.”
He has a right to voice his opinion, but I wish he had done it with the benefit of his full name, without screaming, and without assumptions. It never occurred to him, I guess, that straight people might feel differently than he does. He made me afraid to do my job today. That kind of fanaticism is scary about any issue. It’s the kind of fanaticism that makes people fly planes into buildings. I wish it didn’t have an effect on me, but it did.
Best always,
Lisa Van Ness
Development Associate
The AFA
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Reassurance The AFA is Changing and Improving Lives
August 20, 2008 - Wednesday
Posted by Lisa
Reassurance We ARE Changing Lives
So, I’m sitting in the office Tuesday morning and the phone rings. Little do I know, this call is about to be re-assurance that The AFA’s advocacy in action is making a HUGE difference. The woman on the other end asks if I can fill her in on the Honda discrimination. I explain Honda Manufacturing of Alabama has decided to take it upon itself to deny assisted reproductive technology medical insurance coverage to its gay and lesbian workers. The exclusion went into effect January 1st of this year (which, by the way, also bans coverage for diagnostics!). She then tells me there’s a buzz going around the Honda plant, where her friend works. Turns out that friend is her domestic partner and the two desperately want the restriction lifted, because they one day may want to start a family, using donor semen. I proceed to ask her if she’s read the press release we had just put out early this morning. She knew nothing about that. Her only reason for the call was to say Thank You to The AFA!
My point is that we created a buzz. We warned management at Honda’s corporate level about our concern. We gave them a week and a half to respond to our letter or lift the restriction; they did neither! So, here we are! We’re making a difference in peoples’ lives. We’re fighting for all-inclusive human rights. It’s sickening to think that a corporation of that magnitude would deny insurance coverage to a certain segment of its employees, because management doesn’t agree with their personal orientation. What’s next? Will Honda start docking the pay of those who drive Toyotas or Nissans? Come on. Honda created a mess, The AFA told the world about it through thousands of national and international media outlets, and now it’s time for Honda Alabama President Hiroshi Sasamoto to grab a broom, step forward, and clean up this filthy mess.
The impact of this advocacy work has been miraculous. Motor Trend, NY Times, LA Times, Forbes, Reuters, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX…and the list goes on. They’ve all picked it up and hopefully now Honda will step up!
Read the press release and Take Action on our homepage at www.theafa.org.
Cheers!
Brian Armentrout
Communications Director
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