Nampa, Idaho residents Amber Howard and Rachel Dovel and their son just wanted to work out and swim together. In one of those “oh god, just legalize gay marriage already” moments, the Nampa Rec Center gym has denied Howard & Dovel a family membership because Amber & Rachel could not provide legal documents showing that they were married in Idaho.
Howard & Dovel have lived together for two years and are raising Amber’s biological son, Logan. But the NRC’s policy states that the only ones eligible for the family discount are married couples and their children. Funny though, single parents and their children can get the family rate, but in this case, Rachel would have to pay for her own individual membership. Unfortunately for Amber, Rachel and Logan, that means they’d have to shell out up to $400 more per year than if all three were on the same family membership.
And while the Idaho clan has found a local YMCA that did give them a family rate, this is one of those stories that keep popping up whose number are legion.
See, this is why we fight. It’s not just for the big things … we’ve got to get gay marriage legalized for little details like this. Life is all about the details.
on Jan 23rd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Shame on that gym for its paleolithic discriminatory attitude. I’ve never belonged to a gym that doesn’t contract non-married couples for the family benefits if they’ve asked for them. Shame on their discriminatory business practices!
on Jan 23rd, 2009 at 7:03 pm
“Shame on their discriminatory business practices!”
…except for that the agent of discrimination in this case is a municipality, not a business. It’s funded with public tax dollars. Most businesses that care about profit do not discriminate. But in this case you are dealing with petty townies who occasionally like to abuse the tiny amounts of power they are afforded.
on Jan 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 pm
It is all about the details. for sure. We have got to come together and change the wrongs in the world. If nobody stands up to fight then nothing will get done.
on Jan 24th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
It is indeed unfortunate that a city-run, taxpayer-funded, public recreation center would discriminate in that way. However, it’s not surprising. As if we need to be reminded, but we are not fully equal in this world. But good on the YMCA for giving them the “family” membership. Despite the “Christian” origins of the YMCA, it is today a very progressive, socially-aware organization. I’m a member of the YMCA in Toronto, and know that they focus on equality and family and social responsibility.
on Jan 24th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
On the wikipedia entry on the YMCA, I found this (which shows, I guess, that the YMCA in Canada is more secular than the American branch):
“Many YMCAs in North America adopt a more secular mission than their counterparts in other parts of the world, although most still reference religion in the terms of promoting “Christian Principles” or “Judeo-Christian Values”.
The national YMCA federation in Canada expresses its statement of purpose: The YMCA in Canada is dedicated to the growth of all persons in spirit, mind and body and a sense of responsibility to each other and the global community.
The national YMCA federation in the United States expresses its mission: To put Christian principles in to practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all”