Cleveland's DP Registry!

From Willow, word is that Cleveland just passed a domestic partner registry!!! From today's GP's Chronicle:

City Council is well on its way to including transgender people in the city’s non-discrimination code and creating Ohio’s third domestic partner registry.

Ordinances to do both were been approved on December 1 by council’s Legislative Committee and will likely be passed by the full council at their December 8 meeting.

Mayor Frank Jackson is expected to sign both the registry and the measure to add gender identity to the city’s equal rights ordinances, said his spokesperson Maureen Harper. The equality ordinances have included “sexual orientation” since 1994.

Sixty-five people squeezed into council’s 44-seat hearing room for the committee session on both measures. Most wore rainbow stickers supporting them.

The committee took up the partner registry first. It is sponsored by 13 of council’s 21 members.

The proposal would allow unmarried couples over the age of 18, same-sex or opposite sex, to register their partnership with the city. It would be open to both residents and non-residents of Cleveland.

The registry confers no rights or benefits. However, registration will allow couples to access benefits offered by insurance companies, employers and health care providers.

There were 29 witnesses speaking for the registry, including clergy, attorneys, activists and Cleveland Heights officials.

Voters approved the Cleveland Heights registry in 2003. The Cleveland proposal, like the Toledo registry created in 2007, are modeled after it.

Committee chair Phyllis Cleveland of Ward 5 opened testimony after accepting an amendment from the city administration to make the registry effective 120 days after passage, rather than 90 days.

Congrats Cleveland! Now, how does this play with DOMA?