(UNDATED) Wisconsinâ??s only statewide organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights has a new director, but Eva Shiffrin says Fair Wisconsinâ??s mission will stay the same. Shiffrin started her new job last week, after serving as the staff attorney for the Wisconsin Coalition against Sexual Assault since 2002.
Shiffrin says Fair Wisconsin will work for LGBT equality in all aspects of life. Right now, her focus is on keeping a provision for domestic partner benefits for University of Wisconsin employees in the state budget. She says currently, the UW is the only Big Ten school which does not offer those benefits, and itâ??s having a â??huge impactâ? on the university system, in terms of attrition, and the failure to provide employees stability. She says itâ??s unfair and unjust, and is causing the UW to lag behind other Big Ten schools in terms of recruitment. (Seventh item.)