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Second Parent Adoption | Maine

在缅因州,同性伴侣可以共同收养孩子吗?

Yes, as the result of an appeal that GLAD made to the Maine Law Court concerning the refusal of a Maine Probate Court to assume jurisdiction of the joint adoption petition by a lesbian couple (In re Adoption of M.A.,—- A.2d——, 2007 WL 2446019 (Me. 2007)). In August 2007, the Maine Law Court ruled that the Probate Court did have jurisdiction and that state law allows for unmarried couples to adopt. This ruling makes it clear that joint or second parent adoptions by unmarried couples are permitted under Maine law. For more specific information on the process, see GLAD’s publication, Joint Adoption Practice and Procedure in Light of Adoption of M.A.: Second Parent Adoption.

What is the difference between joint, second-parent, and single-parent adoptions?

A joint adoption is when both partners adopt a child together at the same time. A second-parent adoption is when one partner adopts the other partner’s child. A single-parent adoption is where a single individual adopts a child.

第二父母收养或共同收养有什么好处?

An adoption is a court judgment that the child has two legal parents for all purposes. In addition to providing legal security, an adoption decree mirrors the actual family situation and thereby provides emotional comfort and security as well.

Without an adoption, the non-legal parent needs special permission to seek medical care for the child, or to attend school meetings. With an adoption, the adopting parent is a legal parent entitled to make decisions for the child in day-to-day and emergency matters without special authorization.

With an adoption, if one parent dies, the other parent will automatically assume custody of the child. In addition, the child would have the automatic right to inherit from the deceased parent, even if there is no will. The child could also collect social security survivor benefits based on the deceased parent’s work record.

Finally, if the couple separates, then the adoption means that both parents have the right to seek parental rights and responsibilities, and any disputes will be decided based on what is in the best interests of the child.

如果我们已婚,我们需要进行第二父母收养吗?

当婚姻关系中生下孩子时,缅因州法律以及所有州的法律都推定夫妻双方均为孩子的父母,并且双方姓名均列在孩子的出生证明上。然而,这只是一种推定,可以在法庭上提出异议。因此,同性恋者反堕胎联盟(GLAD)过去曾建议已婚夫妇进行第二父母收养,以确保非亲生父母的亲子关系,因为收养是法院判决建立亲子关系,其他州必须尊重这一判决。 

现在,缅因州的夫妇可以通过第二种方式来保护非亲生伴侣的亲子关系,那就是签署亲子关系承认书。

如果我是已签署亲子关系承认书的父母,我还需要进行第二父母收养吗?

不。签署了亲子关系确认书的父母无需再进行第二次收养来确立亲子关系。亲子关系确认书根据州法律确立了合法的亲子关系,相当于州法律下的法院亲子关系判决,并赋予您作为父母的所有权利和义务。根据联邦法律,亲子关系确认书相当于司法亲子关系判决书,应在所有州得到承认。

由于扩大亲子关系确认书的获取渠道是一项新兴发展,一些父母可能更愿意在亲子关系确认书的基础上,甚至代替亲子关系确认书,完成第二父母收养。为了了解最适合您家庭的方案,建议您寻求个性化的法律咨询。

Short of joint adoption or second parent adoption, how can a family protect the interests of the child vis-à-vis his or her second parent?

There are a number of steps that can be taken, although none offer the security of a second parent adoption or marriage. Among these are:

  1. 共同抚养协议: An agreement setting out the parents’ expectations about each other’s roles, and their plans in the event of separation, disability or death. While these agreements may not be enforceable as a contract, they are important indicators of what the couple’s intent was when they formed their family and what they believed was in the best interests of the child, and thus may be influential on a court’s assessment of who the parents are and their respective parental rights and responsibilities.
  2. 遗嘱: The legal parent may nominate a guardian of the child upon the parent’s death. These “testamentary appointments” are given strong and respectful consideration by courts. Of course, if the child has another legal parent living, then that person would have priority over the nominated guardian (see 18-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 5-301 et seq).
  3. 共同监护: This process allows a biological or adoptive parent to name his or her partner as a co-guardian so that the partner may secure medical attention and health insurance for the child and in most other ways act with the legal authority of a parent. The Probate Court may appoint the legal parent and his or her partner as co-guardians if the legal parent consents to the appointment and the court finds the appointment to be in the best interests of the child (see 18-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 5-204(b). GLAD’s case, In re Guardianship of I.H., 834 A.2d 922 (Me. 2003), clarified the law in this area. See also https://www.gladlaw.org/current/pr-detail/maine-high-court-affirms-lesbian-couples-right-to-petition-for-full-coguard/). This status is not permanent, and may be terminated by the court upon a legal petition if the guardianship is no longer in the best interests of the child. Additionally, co-guardianship status ceases to be recognized once the child reaches the age of eighteen (A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 5-212(d).  In addition, a court can order a “de facto” guardianship even if the parents do not consent where the child has lived with another person and the parents have consistently not participated in the child’s life.  18-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 5-101).
  4. Power of Attorney Delegating Parent’s Rights: This document is signed by the parent and delegates to another adult all powers regarding that parent’s child, except the power to consent to the child’s adoption. It must be notarized, and it must be renewed every six months.

If same-sex parents raise a child together, but only one is the “legal” parent (because of birth or adoption), then what rights does the other parent have vis-à-vis the child?

This area of law is rapidly evolving in Maine. If the non-birth or non-adoptive parent is a “de facto parent,” then he or she is entitled to be considered for an award of full parental rights and responsibilities, which may include custody or visitation (see C.E.W. v. D.E.W., 845 A.2d 1146 (Me. 2004)). Although the Maine Law Court has not clearly defined who qualifies as a de facto parent, that Court has stated:

  1. the de facto parent must have developed a parent-child relationship with the child;
  2. the legal parent must have consented to and encouraged the development of this relationship;
  3. the de facto parent must have performed a share of the care-taking functions at least a great as the legal parent (see Stitham v. Henderson, 768 A.2d 598, 605-06 (Me. 2001) (Saufley, J., concurring) (quoting E.N.O. v. L.M.M., 711 N.E.2d 886, 891 (Mass. 1999)).

The Law Court added that a de facto parent “must surely be limited to those adults who have fully and completely undertaken a permanent, unequivocal, committed and responsible parental role in the child’s life” (see C.E.W. v. D.E.W., 845 A.2d 1146 (Me. 2004)). This area of law needs further clarification. For example, even though the Law Court has not required this, many judges and practitioners have imported a two year term of the child and de facto parent living together.

Regardless of the status of a person’s legal rights, it is critical to remember that children form strong attachments to their parental caregivers regardless of legal labels. Separating a child from a person who has acted as his or her parent can be a devastating loss for a child. Moreover, court proceedings to establish de facto parenthood will be painful and costly, so anything people can do outside of court to make decisions together about a child’s interests is strongly encouraged. See GLAD’s publication, 保护家庭:LGBT家庭标准.

Intimate Partner Violence | Maine

什么是家庭暴力?

Domestic violence may take many forms. Generally, domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior in which one person attempts to control another through threats or actual use of tactics, which may include any or all of the following: physical, sexual, verbal and psychological abuse.

Under the law, “abuse” means that any of the following have occurred between people who are “family, household members or dating partners”:

  • Attempting to cause or causing bodily injury or offensive physical contact;
  • Attempting to place or placing another in fear of bodily injury through any course of conduct, including, but not limited to, threatening, harassing or tormenting behavior;
  • Compelling, by force, threat of force, or intimidation, a person to engage in conduct, such as causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, or to abstain from conduct in which they have a right to engage;
  • Restricting another person’s movement, by knowingly removing them from home, work or school, or moving them a substantial distance from where they were found, or confining the person;
  • Placing a person in reasonable fear that a crime will be committed by threatening them or another person that they will be committing a crime of violence against the person; or
  • Repeatedly and without reasonable cause following a person or being in the vicinity of their work, school or home (19-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4002(1)).

Do the domestic violence laws apply to people in same-sex relationships?

Generally yes. The definition of “family, household members and dating partners” includes married couples, domestic partners or former domestic partners, people who are or have “liv[ed] together as spouses”, people who are sexual partners or are living together (or did so previously), as well as individuals currently or formerly dating each other, whether or not the individuals are or were sexual partners (19-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec 4002). The law applies equally to all people, but the application depends upon the nature of the relationship of the people involved.

我如何获得法院命令来保护我免受伴侣的虐待?

To get protection, go to the District Court in the community where you live or where the abuser lives. The court clerk will have a packet of information for you to complete. There is no fee, and there is a means of keeping your address confidential from the public. You will have to allege abuse as defined above, and indicate where you think the abuser/defendant can be found so that he or she can be served with (given a copy of) the court papers. If the courts are closed, contact your local police who will locate a judge to help. On this basis, you may receive a temporary order of protection good for up to 21 days. In order for those orders to be enforceable, the police must serve a copy on the defendant/abuser, and a defendant cannot be arrested for violating orders if he or she has not been given a copy of them. The orders can restrain the defendant from coming near you or your children, keep the defendant away from your home, and/or place of employment or contacting you at all, and determine child custody issues on a short-term basis.

Violation of a protection order is a criminal offense (see generally 19-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4001 et seq).

The temporary orders will indicate the date set for the court hearing at which you can try to extend your court orders. At this point, the defendant will tell his or her side of the story as well, and you can be called upon to answer questions. At this stage, both parties often have attorneys. If the Court determines the defendant has made a credible threat to the physical safety of you or a child in your household, the relief may be extended for up to two years.

If for some reason you decide not to go through with the order, it is important to show up in court on your assigned date and ask that the case be dismissed.

In addition, Maine’s harassment law described below may be useful for people who are experiencing harassment from a partner of the same sex.  An order preventing harassment can be taken out against anyone (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4651.  See also http://www.courts.state.me.us/publications_other/pa_ph-1207.pdf).

我可以去哪里寻求帮助?

In Maine, local domestic violence projects across the state provide direct services to victims of domestic violence. The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) is a coalition of the nine domestic violence projects in the state. There is a statewide domestic violence helpline at 866-834-HELP (4357). This number will direct victims to support centers in their county. These support centers also provide court advocacy. MCEDV maintains information for same-sex partners on their website at http://www.mcedv.org.

In addition to the local police, there are several other hotlines and on-line resources:

  • Sexual Assault Support Hotline, (800) 871-7741 (statewide, 24-hours), a complete listing of local member sexual assault centers can be found at http://www.mecasa.org/;
  • Office of the Maine Attorney General, 207-626-8800, http://www.maine.gov/ag/.

Does domestic violence play a role in parental rights and responsibilities decisions?

Yes. It is a factor the court must consider in allocating parental rights and responsibilities, and courts may provide conditions upon an abuser seeing his or her children (see generally 19-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 1653 (6)).

婚姻 | 缅因州

同性伴侣可以在缅因州结婚吗?

是的!2012年11月6日,缅因州成为美国第一个通过倡议程序而非法院诉讼或立法机构投票的方式,为同性伴侣争取婚姻权利的州。缅因州问题1: 允许同性伴侣获得结婚证并保护宗教自由的法案,50 以 53% 比 47% 的比例获得了缅因州选民的支持。

三年后, Obergefell诉Hodges案(135 S.Ct. 2584 (2015)), 美国最高法院裁定美国宪法保障同性伴侣结婚的权利,使婚姻平等在全国范围内成为现实。同性恋者反歧视联盟(GLAD)的玛丽·博诺托(Mary Bonauto)在口头辩论中代表原告。奥贝格费尔,美国所有 50 个州都必须向同性伴侣颁发结婚证,并且所有州都必须尊重在其他司法管辖区内进行的同性伴侣婚姻。

缅因州的同性伴侣可以在其他地方结婚吗?

是的。感谢 奥贝格费尔诉霍奇斯案,所有州都必须向同性伴侣颁发结婚证。

缅因州会尊重我的婚姻吗?其他州会吗?

是的。缅因州将尊重同性伴侣的合法婚姻,无论其婚姻在何处举行,正如现在所有州都将尊重在缅因州结婚的同性伴侣的婚姻一样。

联邦政府会尊重我的婚姻吗?

是的。由于最近《婚姻保护法》(DOMA)的废除, 温莎诉美国案 (133. S.Ct. 2675 (2013)),联邦政府将承认并尊重同性伴侣的合法婚姻。

《婚姻保护法》(DOMA)是一部联邦法律,将婚姻定义为一男一女之间的结合。该法律曾禁止同性伴侣享受1000多项与婚姻相关的联邦法律,包括税收、社会保障(包括社会保障残疾保险(SSDI)和补充保障收入(SSI)、移民、破产、家庭和医疗休假法(FMLA)、联邦学生助学金、医疗补助(Medicaid)、医疗保险(Medicare)、退伍军人福利和贫困家庭临时援助(TANF)。令人欣慰的是,2013年,美国最高法院裁定《婚姻保护法》违宪。同性恋者反歧视联盟(GLAD)于2009年首次对《婚姻保护法》提起诉讼。 吉尔诉OPM(699 F.Supp.2d 374 (2010)),该案中形成的法律框架被应用于许多后续案件, 温莎 包括GLAD 还负责协调 温莎 友情提示。

不幸的是,有一个问题尚未得到彻底解决 温莎 和 奥贝格费尔 涉及配偶福利和自保健康计划。虽然马萨诸塞州法律禁止基于性取向的歧视,但自保健康计划受联邦法律管辖。联邦反歧视法第七章仅禁止基于种族、肤色、宗教、性别或国籍的歧视,性取向并未明确列入。因此,一些自保雇主声称他们可以合法地拒绝向同性配偶提供福利。

幸运的是,这个问题远未得到解决。最近,美国平等就业机会委员会(“EEOC”)表示,《美国宪法》第七章中禁止“性别歧视”的规定也涵盖了基于性取向的歧视(参见 鲍德温诉福克斯,机构编号2012-24738-FAA-3(2015年7月15日))。

如果您的雇主在配偶医疗保健福利方面基于性取向歧视您,请联系 GLAD Answers。

如果我的配偶去世,我可以获得社会保障遗属福利吗?

是的,因为如上所述,同性已婚夫妇有权享受异性已婚夫妇享有的所有福利。

然而,直到 奥贝格费尔诉霍奇斯案 2015年6月26日的判决显示,许多同性伴侣生活在一些违反宪法的婚姻法禁止同性伴侣结婚的州。因此,当他们的配偶去世时,他们无法满足社会保障遗属福利的条件,即结婚9个月。

为了纠正这种不公平现象,Lambda Legal 提起了两起诉讼, 伊利诉索尔案 和 桑顿诉社会保障专员案 并成功为从未结婚的同性伴侣申请社会保障遗属福利(伊利诉索尔案)或最终能够结婚,但结婚不到 9 个月,其配偶就去世了(桑顿诉社会保障专员案). 

这两项裁决允许因歧视性州法律而被禁止结婚,从而没有资格申请社会保障遗属福利的同性伴侣提交申请。然而,申请的成功取决于能否提供足够的文件,向社会保障局证明他们未能满足9个月婚姻要求的唯一原因是歧视性州法律。

以下链接提供了更详细的信息,并包含每起诉讼的常见问题解答,并列出了一些您可以提供获得遗属抚恤金所需文件的方式: 因违宪的州婚姻法而被排除在社会保障遗属福利之外的同性伴侣和配偶的相关信息 | Lambda Legal

在缅因州,夫妻可以采取哪些措施来维护他们的关系?

无论夫妻双方是已婚、在缅因州注册同居关系还是没有合法关系,他们都可以通过以下方式保护他们的关系:

  1. 关系协议或合同: 根据合同法的一般规则,有关财产和财务的协议应得到尊重和履行。缅因州法院尚未就此作出具体裁决,但该裁决符合缅因州合同法以及其他州的法律,这些州已认定此类协议具有可执行性。
  2. 持久授权书: 任何有行为能力的人,在丧失行为能力或丧失行为能力时,均可指定他人为其财务和/或其他事务的“实际代理人”。如果未指定,则由其“家属”成员代为该丧失行为能力或丧失行为能力的个人做出决定。

个人也可以在同一文件中提名监护人或保护人。这是一种长期任命,优先于实际受托人。法院只能因“正当理由或取消资格”而驳回此选择。家庭成员未被指定为监护人或保护人本身并不构成正当理由。

  1. 持久医疗保健授权书: 医疗保健提供者通常会委托近亲为丧失行为能力的个人做出医疗保健决定。如果未婚人士希望由法定亲属以外的人做出这些决定,那么持久的医疗保健授权书是至关重要的保障。在缅因州,个人可以指定一名医疗保健代理人,立即或在丧失行为能力时为其做出决定。授权书必须由两名证人(不包括被指定为实际代理人的人)签署。只有在证人仍然具有行为能力时才能撤销授权书。否则,必须通过法院撤销授权书。

虽然书面持久授权书可以最大程度地确保患者将由其希望做出决定的人照顾,但缅因州法律还规定了一项程序,即“与患者在情感、身体和经济方面具有类似配偶关系的成年人”可以为无行为能力的人做出医疗保健决定。

这项规定执行起来可能比较麻烦,但却为伴侣提供了一种在没有文件的情况下参与其丧失行为能力的伴侣的医疗保健决策的方式。

一个人可以通过这份持久医疗保健授权书,或一份名为“预先指示”的单独文件,处理临终事宜,例如人工营养和其他维持生命的治疗。总检察长办公室在其网站上发布了一份预先指示范本, 预先医疗保健指示表格 | Maine.gov .

虽然书面的预先指示能够最大程度地确保当事人的意愿得到遵循,但缅因州法律也允许当事人通过程序为他人做出临终决定,前提是当事人能够证明其是其家人。配偶享有优先权,其次是“与患者在情感、身体和经济上与配偶关系相似的成年人”。这项规定执行起来可能比较繁琐,但却为伴侣提供了一种参与其临终决定的途径。

  1. 将要: 如果没有遗嘱,也未登记为同居伴侣,已故未婚人士的财产将转移给:(1) 其子女;(2) 其家人;(3) 如果无法找到近亲,则归国家所有。如果此人希望为其伴侣等其他人提供生活保障,则遗嘱至关重要。即使个人财产不多,也可以在遗嘱中指定管理其财产的人。如果此人有子女,可以指定子女的监护人,该监护人在其去世后生效。此类指定虽然对法院不具有约束力,但仍然受到法院的高度重视。
  2. 葬礼计划文件: 死者去世后,其近亲属将获得遗体的管理权。这意味着死者的伴侣无权自动移走遗体或安排最终安息之地。

如果某人 (1) 已根据州法律登记为同居伴侣;和/或 (2) 已书面指定另一个人(例如其伴侣或朋友)保管和管理其遗体,那么该人将拥有对遗体的管理权,并有权安排葬礼和选择最终安息地。81 提前准备好葬礼计划文件比在遗嘱中留下指示要好得多,因为遗嘱可能在死后数日内都找不到。

一个人是否需要律师来获取这些文件?

GLAD 建议与律师合作处理这些文件。

尽管有一些表格可用,但该表格可能不适合您个人的需求和愿望,并且可能不符合缅因州法律的具体要求,这将导致它们无效且不可执行。

此外,律师或许能够帮助您实现目标,例如,通过起草遗嘱,使其更有可能避免不满意的家庭成员提出遗嘱异议。此外,许多人认为律师协助至关重要,因为同性伴侣享有与已婚异性伴侣不同的税收待遇。不考虑税收后果,可能会在死亡或分居后导致巨大的困难。

如果我们需要结束婚姻该怎么办?

后 奥贝格费尔诉霍奇斯案,世界各地的同性配偶都应该能够按照与异性配偶相同的条件解除婚姻关系。

有孩子的同性伴侣分手后应该遵守什么标准?

有孩子的同性伴侣分手后应该:

  1. 支持 LGBTQ+ 父母的权利;
  2. 尊重现有的关系,不论其法律标签如何;
  3. 分手后尊重孩子现有的父母关系;
  4. 为孩子们保持连续性;
  5. 寻求自愿解决方案;
  6. 记住,分手很难;
  7. 调查虐待指控;
  8. 不允许因缺乏协议或法律关系而决定结果;
  9. 将诉讼视为最后的手段;
  10. 拒绝诉诸恐同/恐变性人的法律和情绪来达到预期结果。

有关这些标准的更多详细信息,请参阅出版物《保护家庭:LGBTQ+ 家庭标准》,网址为: 保护家庭:LGBTQ+ 家庭标准 | GLAD

Navigating Police Interactions | Maine

Is it legal for the police to tell me to “move along” from public areas?

Not necessarily. If the area is public and not posted as having particular hours, you generally have a right to be there as long as you are engaged in lawful activity. Public places belong to everyone. Even if police officers want to deter crime, or suspect some kind of unlawful intent, they have no general right to request people to move from one place to another 除非存在违法行为 (Kent v. Dulles, 357 U.S. 116, 126 (1958); State v. Aucoin, 278 A.2d 395, 397 (Me. 1971)(striking down former version of Portland’s loitering ordinance)).

与警察互动的一般规则是什么?

The presence of individuals who appear to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender—whether because such individuals are displaying symbols such as a rainbow flag or pink triangle or for any other reason—should not trigger any special scrutiny by a police officer, other than a concern for the safety and well-being of those persons that the officer would have for any other park or rest area patron.

Police may of course approach a person, and make inquiries, but even if a person has been convicted of a past offense, or fails to respond, or responds in a way which does not satisfy the officer, that alone is not grounds for the person to be arrested.

Brief intrusions upon a person are permitted if an officer can say why he or she is concerned and that concern is reasonable. For example, if an officer is concerned about someone’s safety, or suspects the person may have committed a crime, or suspects the person has committed a traffic infraction, then a stop is reasonable (State v. Gulick, 759 A.2d 1085 (Me. 2007), *2; State v. Connors, 734 A.2d 195 (Me. 1999)(investigatory stop justified when officer has articulable suspicion of civil violation or criminal activity and such suspicion is objectively reasonable in the totality of circumstances)).

An arrest can only occur upon “probable cause” that a crime has been committed (State v. Boylan, 665 A.2d 1016 (Me. 1995)(probable cause to arrest where officer has reasonably trustworthy information that would warrant an ordinarily prudent and cautious officer to believe the subject did commit or was committing a crime).  See also Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 16 (1968)).

如果我认为我受到了警方的不当对待,我该怎么办?

Complaints may be made to any individual police department for matters concerning its officers, and complaints to the Maine State Police may be made to the commanding officer of the alleged harasser. The contact person is the Director of Internal Affairs at (207) 624-7290. The State Police have a toll-free number at (800) 452-4664. The complaint should specify the name or badge number of the officer, and state whether the complaint is for actual misconduct, harassment or discrimination.

In some cases, an individual may decide to pursue a lawsuit—because of injuries, improper detainment, or for some other reason. These matters are highly specialized, and GLAD can provide you with attorney referrals. People can also register serious complaints with the Attorney General’s Office, Investigations Unit at (207) 626-8800.

其他艾滋病毒法律 | 缅因州

其他关于艾滋病相关法律的问题及解答。另请参阅我们的网页 艾滋病毒/艾滋病歧视 和 测试和隐私.

雇主必须为残疾雇员提供“合理便利”是什么意思?

残疾人士(例如艾滋病毒/艾滋病患者)可能会遇到健康问题,导致其难以满足某些工作要求或职责。例如,他们可能会感到精疲力竭,难以全职工作。

在某些情况下,雇主有义务修改或调整工作要求或工作场所政策,以使残疾人士(例如艾滋病毒感染者或艾滋病患者)能够履行工作职责。这被称为“合理便利”。

合理便利的例子包括:

  • 修改或改变工作任务或职责;
  • 制定兼职或修改的工作时间表;
  • 允许在正常工作时间内请假去看医生;
  • 将员工重新分配到空缺职位;或
  • 对工作现场的物理布局进行修改或购置电话放大器等设备,以允许听力障碍人士完成工作。

一个人怎样才能获得合理的住宿?

除极少数例外,员工有责任主动提出便利申请。此外,雇主可以要求员工提供一些关于其残疾性质的信息。如果员工担心向主管透露 HIV/AIDS 状况,请联系 GLAD Answers。

员工可以申请的便利条件没有固定的设定。申请便利条件的性质将取决于每位员工的具体情况。

雇主是否必须批准合理住宿请求?

不,雇主没有义务批准每一项便利措施的请求。雇主无需提供会造成“过度负担”(即给雇主的运营带来重大困难或费用)的合理便利措施。此外,如果员工即使获得合理便利措施仍无法履行工作职责,雇主也无需提供合理便利措施。

什么情况下,对员工而言“合理的便利”会成为对雇主而言“过度负担”?

在确定所要求的便利是否给雇主造成过度负担或困难时,法院会审查许多因素,其中包括:

  • 雇主的规模、预算和财务限制;
  • 实施所要求的住宿的费用;以及
  • 该调整如何影响或扰乱雇主的业务。

再次强调,我们会根据具体情况进行审查。

仅当员工因合理便利而具备履行基本工作职责的资格时,雇主才有义务提供合理便利。即使员工已获得合理便利,雇主也无需雇用或留用无法履行基本工作职责的员工。

缅因州的医生是否可以要求进行 HIV 检测作为治疗的先决条件?

不可以,医疗保健提供者不得因拒绝同意接受艾滋病毒检测而拒绝治疗或护理。

缅因州关于购买和持有针头的法律是什么?

根据缅因州法律,年满 18 岁的人可以从药剂师和其他授权卖家处购买“皮下注射装置”,例如注射器和针头。

但是,个人不得同时合法购买或持有超过十个“皮下注射装置”,除非法律另有授权(例如医生在工作范围内行事)。

缅因州允许针头交换计划吗?

是的。缅因州法律授权缅因州疾病控制与预防中心认证针头交换项目。参与这些项目的人员可持有的皮下注射针头数量不受限制。

缅因州是否允许无需处方即可获得 PrEP 和 PEP?

是的,2021 年 6 月 18 日,州长 Janet Mills 签署了 LD 1115, 改善艾滋病预防药物获取途径的法案, 哪个 扩大访问范围 一种简单、安全、有效的药物,即艾滋病毒暴露前预防用药 (PrEP),可将艾滋病毒传播风险降低近 100%。新法律授权药剂师在短期内无需处方即可配发 PrEP 以及艾滋病毒暴露后预防用药 (PEP)。

有关详细信息,请参阅:For more information, see: 缅因州成为有效艾滋病预防药物药房可及性的领先者 - GLAD

缅因州是否有法律禁止保险公司歧视服用 PrEP 的人?

是的。2019年,缅因州《保险法》进行了修订,禁止因个人已服用暴露前预防药物(用于预防艾滋病毒感染)而对人寿、残疾收入或长期护理保险单进行歧视。更多信息,请参阅 第 24-A 条第 2159 款:不公平歧视——人寿保险、年金和健康保险.

Housing | Discrimination | Maine

Does Maine have an anti-discrimination law protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination in housing?

Yes. On November 8, 2005, Maine voters agreed to keep in place a law, LD 1196, “An Act to Extend Civil Rights Protections to All People Regardless of Sexual Orientation”, passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in the spring of 2005. The law went into effect December 28, 2005.

This marks the end of a long struggle in Maine to achieve legal protections for LGBT people. In November 1995, Maine voters rejected an attempt to limit the protected classes to those already included within the non-discrimination law. In May 1997, Maine approved an anti-discrimination law based on sexual orientation, but this law was repealed in a special election in February 1998. Then in November 2000, by the smallest of margins, Maine voters failed to ratify a second anti-discrimination law that had been approved by the legislature.

The law provides protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation which is defined as “… a person’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity or expression” (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4553 (9-C)).

Does it also protect people perceived of as LGBT in housing?

Yes. The non-discrimination law specifically covers people who are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

What is prohibited by the housing anti-discrimination law in Maine?

The fair housing laws apply to any person with the right to sell, rent, lease or manage residential housing. It covers any transaction related to housing—including advertising, inquiring, showing, selling, renting, leasing, pricing, evicting, misrepresenting availability or asking price, or failing to communicate an offer (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4582. See also “Panel backs 2 men in housing complaint,” Bangor Daily News, Sept. 18, 2007 (discusses first case where the Maine Human Rights Commission “found reasonable grounds to a housing discrimination claim based on sexual orientation”))

The law declares that every individual has a basic civil right to secure decent housing in accordance with the individual’s right to pay and without discrimination because of sexual orientation (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4581).

Those who finance housing — whether financing for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of residential housing — are barred from discriminating.

是否有任何房东不受住房反歧视法的约束?

The following landlords are exempt from the law:

  • an owner-occupied 2-family dwelling;
  • an owner-occupied single family dwelling that rents not more than 4 rooms; and
  • a dwelling owned, controlled, or operated for other than a commercial purpose by a religious corporation that rents to its membership (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4553 (6)).

How do I file a complaint of discrimination? What happens after I file?

You should contact the Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) at (207) 624-6050, or at State House Station #51, Augusta, ME 04333-0051, or on the web at http://www.state.me.us/mhrc/index.shtml. The Commission prefers for people to file complaints in writing. For an overview of this process refer to the MHRC regulations, available at http://www.maine.gov/mhrc/laws/index.html.

The complaint must be under oath, state the name and address of the individual making the complaint as well as the entity he or she is complaining against (called the “respondent”). The complaint must set out the particulars of the alleged unlawful acts and the times they occurred (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4611).

Once a complaint is timely filed, a Commissioner or investigator will seek to resolve the matter. If he or she cannot do so, the Commission will proceed with an investigation to determine if there are reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful discrimination has occurred. The Commission has extensive powers during the course of the investigation. Among other things, it can examine persons, places and documents, and require attendance at a factfinding hearing, and issue subpoenas for persons or documents.

If the Commissioner or investigator concludes:

  • there are no reasonable grounds, it will dismiss the case, and the complainant may file a new case in the Superior Court (See generally 5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4612);
  • there are reasonable grounds, it will try to resolve the matter through settlement (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4612).

Once the Commission process is complete, and if settlement has failed, a person can file an action for relief in court. A person may also request a “right to sue” letter from the MHRC if there has been no court action filed and no conciliation agreement in place within 180 days of filing the complaint (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4612 (6)). The person may then file an action in the Superior Court (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4621). In some situations, the Commission may file an action in court on your behalf (See generally 5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4612).

我需要律师吗?

Not necessarily. The process is designed to allow people to represent themselves. However, GLAD strongly encourages people to find a lawyer to represent them throughout the process. Not only are there many legal rules governing the MHRC process, but employers and other respondents will almost certainly have legal representation. Please call the GLAD Answers for help or for an attorney referral.

提出歧视投诉的截止日期是什么?

A complaint must be filed with the MHRC within 300 days of the discriminatory act or acts (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4611). There are virtually no exceptions for lateness, and GLAD encourages people to move promptly in filing claims. Actions filed in Superior Court must generally be filed “not more than 2 years after the act of unlawful discrimination complained of” (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4613(2)(C)).

What are the legal remedies for discrimination?

This is a complicated area and depends on a variety of factors, including the type of discrimination and its intersection with federal laws.

As a general matter, the MHRC tries to resolve cases in which reasonable cause is found. It is not empowered to award emotional distress damages or attorney’s fees, but the parties may agree to whatever terms are mutually satisfactory for resolving the issue (94-348 Rules of Maine Human Rights Com’n secs. 2.07, 2.08. 2.09. Available at http://www.maine.gov/mhrc/laws/index.html).

As a general matter, if a person has filed with the MHRC, completed the process there, and later files his or her case in court, then a full range of compensatory and injunctive relief is available (5 Me. Rev. Stat. secs. 4613, 4614). If a discrimination complainant takes his or her case to court without first filing at the MHRC, then only injunctive relief is available in court, such as a cease and desist order, or an order to do training or post notices (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4622).

The relief ordered by a court may include: (a) hiring, reinstatement and back pay in employment cases; (b) an order to rent or sell a specified housing accommodation (or one that is substantially identical), along with damages of up to three times any excessive price demanded, and civil penal damages, to the victim in housing cases; and (c) in all cases, where the individual has exhausted the MHRC process, an order for attorney’s fees, civil penal damages, cease and desist orders, and other relief that would fulfill the purposes of the anti-discrimination laws (e.g. training programs, posting of notices).

Can I claim discrimination on a basis other than sexual orientation?

Yes, but only if you are treated differently because of a personal characteristic protected by Maine law.

In housing, the protected characteristics for public accommodations apply plus familial status (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4582).

我还可以向联邦机构提出歧视投诉吗?

Yes, in many cases. Federal employment non-discrimination law, called Title VII, applies only to employers with at least 15 employees, and complaints must be filed within 180 days of the discriminatory act with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). But if you initially institute your complaint with MHRC and indicate that you wish to have the complaint cross-filed with the EEOC, then the time limit is extended to the earlier of 300 days or 30 days after MHRC has terminated the case (United States Code 42 sec. 2000e-5(e)(1)). (People who work for federal agencies are beyond the scope of this publication.)

Someone who brings a claim of discrimination may sometimes pursue protections under both state and federal law. This is true because there may be overlapping provisions of state and federal law. For example, Title VII forbids employment discrimination based on race, sex, age, religion and disability (which includes HIV status), but does not expressly forbid discrimination based on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.”

由于越来越多的法院和政府机构认识到性取向和性别认同歧视的根源在于性别歧视,联邦平等就业机会委员会 (EEOC) 近期表示,将同时受理“性别认同”和“性取向”歧视投诉,以调查投诉人是否遭受了被禁止的“性别”歧视。更多信息请访问: http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/upload/GenderStereotyping-LGBT-brochure-OLC.pdf.

GLAD recommends that, where there may be overlapping state and federal jurisdiction, you explore filing with MHRC first but keep in mind the possibility of pursuing a federal claim as well. If you have a sexual orientation or gender identity complaint, you should check off “sex” as well as “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” as the bases for your claim and request that MHRC cross-file your complaint with the EEOC.

LGBT people who are discriminated against in housing may also be able to file a complaint with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in addition to MHRC. For more information go to: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equ al_opp/LGBT_Housing_Discrimination.

还有其他方式可以提起歧视投诉吗?

有可能,这取决于您的具体情况。

State or Federal Court: After filing with the MHRC or EEOC, a person may decide to remove his or her discrimination case from those agencies and file in court. There are rules about when and how this must be done.

In addition, a person may file a court case to address other claims that are not appropriately handled by discrimination agencies. For example:

  • If a person has a claim for a violation of constitutional rights, such as a teacher or other governmental employee who believes his or her free speech or equal protection rights were violated, then those matters must be heard in court.

在提出歧视投诉之前我可以做哪些准备?

In evaluating your potential claims, you have the right to request a complete copy of your personnel file at any time (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 7071 (Employee right to request personnel file)). Personnel files are the official record of your employment and are an invaluable source of information (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 7070 (Definition of personnel record)).

Whether you leave a job voluntarily or not, be cautious about signing any documents admitting to wrongdoing, or that waive your legal rights, or that are a supposed summary of what you said in an exit interview. Sometimes employees are upset or scared at the time they are terminating employment, but the documents will likely be enforceable against you later. Please be cautious.

As a general matter, people who are still working under discriminatory conditions have to evaluate how filing a case will affect their job or housing, and if they are willing to assume those possible consequences. Of course, even if a person has been fired, he or she may decide it is not worth it to pursue a discrimination claim. This is an individual choice which should be made after gathering enough information and advice to make an informed decision.

Some people prefer to meet with an attorney to evaluate the strength of their claims before filing a case. It is always helpful if you bring to your attorney an outline or diary of what happened on the job that you are complaining about. It is best if the information is organized by date and explains who the various players are (and how to get in touch with them), as well as what happened, who said what, and who was present for any important conversations or incidents. If you are concerned about a housing matter, bring a copy of your lease, along with any notices and letters you have received from your landlord.

Discriminatory Treatment | Maine

Does Maine have an anti-discrimination law protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination?

Yes. On November 8, 2005, Maine voters agreed to keep in place a law, LD 1196, “An Act to Extend Civil Rights Protections to All People Regardless of Sexual Orientation”, passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in the spring of 2005. The law went into effect December 28, 2005.

This marks the end of a long struggle in Maine to achieve legal protections for LGBT people. In November 1995, Maine voters rejected an attempt to limit the protected classes to those already included within the non-discrimination law. In May 1997, Maine approved an anti-discrimination law based on sexual orientation, but this law was repealed in a special election in February 1998. Then in November 2000, by the smallest of margins, Maine voters failed to ratify a second anti-discrimination law that had been approved by the legislature.

The law provides protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation which is defined as “… a person’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity or expression” (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4553 (9-C)).

Does it also protect people perceived of as LGBT?

Yes. The non-discrimination law specifically covers people who are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Is it legal for the police to tell me to “move along” from public areas?

Not necessarily. If the area is public and not posted as having particular hours, you generally have a right to be there as long as you are engaged in lawful activity. Public places belong to everyone. Even if police officers want to deter crime, or suspect some kind of unlawful intent, they have no general right to request people to move from one place to another 除非存在违法行为 (Kent v. Dulles, 357 U.S. 116, 126 (1958); State v. Aucoin, 278 A.2d 395, 397 (Me. 1971)(striking down former version of Portland’s loitering ordinance)).

与警察互动的一般规则是什么?

The presence of individuals who appear to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender—whether because such individuals are displaying symbols such as a rainbow flag or pink triangle or for any other reason—should not trigger any special scrutiny by a police officer, other than a concern for the safety and well-being of those persons that the officer would have for any other park or rest area patron.

Police may of course approach a person, and make inquiries, but even if a person has been convicted of a past offense, or fails to respond, or responds in a way which does not satisfy the officer, that alone is not grounds for the person to be arrested.

Brief intrusions upon a person are permitted if an officer can say why he or she is concerned and that concern is reasonable. For example, if an officer is concerned about someone’s safety, or suspects the person may have committed a crime, or suspects the person has committed a traffic infraction, then a stop is reasonable (State v. Gulick, 759 A.2d 1085 (Me. 2007), *2; State v. Connors, 734 A.2d 195 (Me. 1999)(investigatory stop justified when officer has articulable suspicion of civil violation or criminal activity and such suspicion is objectively reasonable in the totality of circumstances)).

An arrest can only occur upon “probable cause” that a crime has been committed (State v. Boylan, 665 A.2d 1016 (Me. 1995)(probable cause to arrest where officer has reasonably trustworthy information that would warrant an ordinarily prudent and cautious officer to believe the subject did commit or was committing a crime).  See also Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 16 (1968)).

如果我认为我受到了警方的不当对待,我该怎么办?

Complaints may be made to any individual police department for matters concerning its officers, and complaints to the Maine State Police may be made to the commanding officer of the alleged harasser. The contact person is the Director of Internal Affairs at (207) 624-7290. The State Police have a toll-free number at (800) 452-4664. The complaint should specify the name or badge number of the officer, and state whether the complaint is for actual misconduct, harassment or discrimination.

In some cases, an individual may decide to pursue a lawsuit—because of injuries, improper detainment, or for some other reason. These matters are highly specialized, and GLAD can provide you with attorney referrals. People can also register serious complaints with the Attorney General’s Office, Investigations Unit at (207) 626-8800.

同居伴侣关系和民事结合 | 缅因州

同性伴侣可以在缅因州结婚吗?

是的!2012年11月6日,缅因州成为美国第一个通过倡议程序而非法院诉讼或立法机构投票的方式,为同性伴侣争取婚姻权利的州。缅因州问题1: 允许同性伴侣获得结婚证并保护宗教自由的法案,50 以 53% 比 47% 的比例获得了缅因州选民的支持。

三年后, Obergefell诉Hodges案(135 S.Ct. 2584 (2015)), 美国最高法院裁定美国宪法保障同性伴侣结婚的权利,使婚姻平等在全国范围内成为现实。同性恋者反歧视联盟(GLAD)的玛丽·博诺托(Mary Bonauto)在口头辩论中代表原告。奥贝格费尔,美国所有 50 个州都必须向同性伴侣颁发结婚证,并且所有州都必须尊重在其他司法管辖区内进行的同性伴侣婚姻。

什么是同居关系?

“同居伴侣”一词在很多情况下都有使用。缅因州设有州政府认可的同居伴侣登记处。此外,缅因州的一些雇主还为未婚伴侣提供专属的“同居伴侣”福利。

什么是缅因州同居伴侣登记处?

2004年,缅因州立法机构批准并由前州长约翰·巴尔达奇签署了一项名为《促进缅因州家庭和儿童财务安全法案》的同居伴侣法。该法案在缅因州设立了同居伴侣登记处,并在伴侣一方死亡或丧失行为能力的情况下赋予已登记的同居伴侣某些权利。该法案将“同居伴侣”定义为“两个未婚的成年人,根据长期协议共同居住,并承诺无限期地对彼此的福祉负责”。具体的登记要求如下。

根据州法律,注册为同居伴侣可以获得哪些保护?

  1. 继承权: 在没有遗嘱的情况下,缅因州登记的同居伴侣享有与合法配偶相同的继承权(尽管仍然存在不平等的税收负担)。
  2. 法律优先权: 法律规定同居伴侣:
    • 在其伴侣丧失行为能力时寻求担任其监护人时,将被视为配偶;
    • 在寻求有关伴侣财产或伴侣福利的保护令时,将享有与合法配偶同等的优先权;
    • 当伴侣丧失行为能力时,有权获得有关指定监护人的听证通知;并且
    • 有权在死亡的情况下获得保护令的通知。
  3. 生存者权利: 如果一方去世,法律规定在确定谁有权安排葬礼和安葬事宜时,在世的同居伴侣将作为近亲的首位。(与在世配偶的情况一样,如果在世的同居伴侣在死者去世时与其关系疏远,则该同居伴侣可能无法获得死者遗体的监护权和控制权。)

笔记: 务必记住,在这些情况下,书面遗嘱和预先指示将取代本法。因此,如果您的伴侣有书面遗嘱或指示赋予他人任何上述权利,则无论您是否注册为同居伴侣,该人都将优先于您主张这些权利。

谁可以注册?

如果夫妇是“两个未婚成年人中的一方,并且根据长期安排同居,并承诺无限期地对彼此的福利负责”,则可以成为缅因州的注册同居伴侣(18-A Me. Rev. Stat. 第 1-201 (10-A) 条),并且他们满足以下具体要求:

  • 每个伴侣都是具有心智健全的成年人,且无密切关系(例如近亲);
  • 同居伴侣在提交申请前已在该州共同生活至少 12 个月;
  • 同居伴侣双方均未与他人结婚或登记为同居伴侣;并且
  • 每个同居伴侣都是另一个同居伴侣的唯一同居伴侣,并期望保持这种状态(22 Me. Rev. Stat. 第 2710(2) 条)。

如何登记同居关系?

所有同居伴侣登记均需提交至健康数据和项目管理办公室 (Office of Health Data and Program Management)。要成为注册同居伴侣,伴侣双方必须共同提交一份经公证的表格,并缴纳所需的申请费 $35。表格可在市政办公室、遗嘱认证法院、卫生与公众服务部办公室以及 人口记录办公室网站.

表格填妥并公证后,需连同所需申请费一起,通过邮寄或亲自递交至奥古斯塔的人口记录办公室 (Office of Vital Records)。登记处收到后,将提交声明,并将两份认证副本寄回同居伴侣,地址为其提供的共同住所 (22 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 2710(3))。

如何终止已登记的同居关系?

已登记的同居伴侣关系因以下原因终止:

  • 任何一方登记伴侣的婚姻;
  • 提交终止婚姻通知,表明双方同意终止婚姻,该通知必须由双方注册同居伴侣在公证人面前签字;或者
  • 任何一方同居伴侣需提交一份宣誓通知,声明另一方已登记伴侣已直接收到终止合伙关系的意向通知。如果无法亲笔递交通知,则可按照《缅因州民事诉讼规则》中关于启动民事诉讼的规定,以其他方式发出通知。根据此方式终止合伙关系,在通知发出后60天内方可生效(22 Me. Rev. Stat. 第3710(4)条)。

笔记: 未能发出通知可能导致对方合伙人必须赔偿因未通知而遭受的任何损失。

除了全州注册之外还存在什么?

  • 州法律要求所有在缅因州提供医疗保险的保险公司为其投保人提供为其“同居伴侣”提供额外福利的选择(24 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 2319-A;24-A Me. Rev. Stat. secs 2832-A & 4249 (2))。
  • 缅因州《家庭医疗假法》于2007年6月进行了修订(26 Me. Rev. Stat. 第843 (4)条),将员工的“同居伴侣”及其子女纳入了家庭医疗假范围。该法律允许员工享受最多10周的无薪假期,以照顾患病的伴侣或其子女。此外,如果员工是现役军人的“同居伴侣”,则可享受家庭医疗假(“缅因州军人家庭援助法案”,LD 256,2007年立法,第123届立法(2007年缅因州)。另请参阅26 Me. Rev. Stat. 第843 (4)条)。
  • 2007 年,缅因州立法机构通过了《关于家庭工伤赔偿保险公平法案》,将雇主的“同居伴侣”添加到可在某些情况下放弃工伤赔偿保险的个人名单中(39-A Me. Rev. Stat. 第 102 条(第 11 款)(A)和(B-1)条)。
  • 此外,2007 年,有关缺席投票程序的法律进行了修订,将“同居伴侣”纳入“直系亲属”的定义之下,以便申请缺席投票(31-A Me. Rev. Stat. 第 1 (20) 条)。

要享受上述福利,无需在全州同居伴侣登记处登记,且这些福利中“同居伴侣”的定义略有不同。通常,要享受这些福利,您可能需要在公证人面前签署一份宣誓书,声明以下内容:

  1. 每个伴侣都是具有心智健全的成年人(申请缺席投票时无需满足此条件);
  2. 同居伴侣双方已合法共同生活至少 12 个月;
  3. 同居伴侣双方均未与他人合法结婚或合法分居;
  4. 每个同居伴侣都是另一个同居伴侣的唯一同居伴侣,并希望保持这种状态;
  5. 同居伴侣对彼此的共同福利负有共同责任,这体现在共同的生活安排、共同的财务安排或对不动产或动产的共同所有权上(26 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 843 (7); 21-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 1 (13-A); 24 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 2319-A (1))。

同性伴侣还可以签署各种遗产规划文件,并指定一名非法律亲属的成年人拥有某些权利和责任(请参阅下文“同性伴侣的法律保护”)。

缅因州是否为州雇员提供同居伴侣福利,例如为雇员的伴侣提供健康保险?

是的。公务员可以为其同居伴侣购买医疗保险。

  • 家庭伴侣健康保险覆盖范围内由国家支付的部分的价值是雇员参与者在联邦和州两级的收入和应税工资,除非该伴侣也是税收受抚养人。
  • 缅因大学系统员工的同居伴侣可以享受健康保险、学费减免、使用大学设施以及所有不受联邦法律限制的配偶福利。

缅因州的城镇可以为自己的员工提供家庭伴侣健康保险福利吗?

是的。许多律师还认为,如果城市或城镇为异性恋伴侣提供福利,则反歧视法也要求这样的结果。

还有一种可能是,根据缅因州针对雇员少于 20 人的公司的迷你 COBRA 法(性取向不受联邦 COBRA 法的约束),有同居伴侣的员工在雇佣关系结束后将享有与异性恋夫妇相同的权利,以维持健康保险(24-A Me. Rev. Stat. secs. 2849-B & C)。

在反歧视法修订纳入性取向之前,一些雇主就提供了这些福利。例如,波特兰市将同居伴侣福利(包括医疗保险)扩展至市和教育部门员工的合格同居伴侣。为了获得此类福利,员工必须在市政府登记其同居伴侣关系,并向市或教育部门提供两份或两份以上证明,表明他们共同负责彼此的共同福利并分担财务义务。此类证明的例子包括共同抵押或拥有财产;在员工遗嘱、退休合同或人寿保险中指定受益人;经过公证的合伙协议或关系合同;以及以下任何两项:联名支票账户、联名信用账户、联名租赁或机动车共同所有权(缅因州波特兰市法典,第13.6-21条(2001年)。可访问:http://ci.portland.me.us/citycode/chapter013_6.pdf)。

值得注意的是,市级同居伴侣计划曾经受住法庭的挑战。2004年,同性恋者联盟(GLAD)与波特兰市检察官及合作律师联手,成功代表波特兰市挑战了同居伴侣登记制度及其提供的福利。该诉讼声称,同居伴侣法已被州反同性恋、反婚姻法取代。参见 普尔西弗诉波特兰市以及 GLAD 的新闻稿 缅因州审判法院维持波特兰同居伴侣条例.

此外,巴尔港市、卡姆登市以及坎伯兰县也为其员工提供同居伴侣医疗保险福利。波特兰市也设有同居伴侣登记处,允许人们登记他们的关系,并获得家庭会员资格以及在市属机构享有的权利。

私营雇主可以提供哪些类型的同居伴侣福利?

私营雇主可以为同居伴侣提供诸多福利,例如医疗保险、家庭医疗假或丧假、平等养老金、搬迁费用或公司设施使用权。虽然很难确定缅因州所有提供福利的雇主,但这些雇主包括LL Bean、缅因州护理发展公司、仙童半导体公司、Idexx Laboratories, Inc.、Energy East Corp.、盖尔集团、汉纳福德、缅因海岸纪念医院、缅因医疗中心、TD Banknorth集团、缅因大学系统、新英格兰大学以及鲍登学院、贝茨学院和科尔比学院(请参阅人权运动的雇主数据库,网址:http://www.hrc.org/issues/workplace/equal_opportunity/search_employers.asp)。

即使雇主提供这些福利,联邦和州法律也要求同居伴侣与配偶的福利应享受不同的税收待遇。例如,员工必须就其伴侣的健康保险福利缴纳联邦和州所得税(除非该伴侣是纳税受抚养人),而配偶则无需缴纳(例如,参见《国内税收法典》,私人信函裁定 9603011(1996 年 1 月 19 日))。 除非伴侣也是税收受抚养人,否则伴侣不符合联邦控制的灵活支出账户下的配偶资格。

至于养老金,根据2006年《联邦养老金保护法》,雇主可以修改其401(k)计划,以便非配偶受益人可以保留该资产作为退休资产。如果计划进行了此类修改,受益人可以在员工身故后将401(k)“转入”个人退休账户(IRA),而之前的法律要求受益人一次性提取并缴纳401(k)的所得税(参见人权运动组织,《养老金计划》,网址:http://www.hrc.org/issues/4821.htm)。

然而,联邦法律在养老金方面仍然存在其他歧视性方面。如果同居伴侣决定指定他人为养老金受益人,同居伴侣无权签字,但配偶则拥有该权利。此外,同居伴侣也没有与配偶同等的权利,在其伴侣指定他人领取遗属抚恤金时签字。

在缅因州,夫妻可以采取哪些措施来维护他们的关系?

无论夫妻双方是已婚、在缅因州注册同居关系还是没有合法关系,他们都可以通过以下方式保护他们的关系:

  1. 关系协议或合同: 根据合同法的一般规则,有关财产和财务的协议应得到尊重和履行。缅因州法院尚未就此作出具体裁决,但该裁决符合缅因州合同法以及其他州的法律,这些州已认定此类协议具有可执行性。
  2. 持久授权书: 任何有行为能力的人,在丧失行为能力或丧失行为能力时,均可指定他人为其财务和/或其他事务的“实际代理人”。如果未指定,则由其“家属”成员代为该丧失行为能力或丧失行为能力的个人做出决定。

个人也可以在同一文件中提名监护人或保护人。这是一种长期任命,优先于实际受托人。法院只能因“正当理由或取消资格”而驳回此选择。家庭成员未被指定为监护人或保护人本身并不构成正当理由。

  1. 持久医疗保健授权书: 医疗保健提供者通常会委托近亲为丧失行为能力的个人做出医疗保健决定。如果未婚人士希望由法定亲属以外的人做出这些决定,那么持久的医疗保健授权书是至关重要的保障。在缅因州,个人可以指定一名医疗保健代理人,立即或在丧失行为能力时为其做出决定。授权书必须由两名证人(不包括被指定为实际代理人的人)签署。只有在证人仍然具有行为能力时才能撤销授权书。否则,必须通过法院撤销授权书。

虽然书面持久授权书可以最大程度地确保患者将由其希望做出决定的人照顾,但缅因州法律还规定了一项程序,即“与患者在情感、身体和经济方面具有类似配偶关系的成年人”可以为无行为能力的人做出医疗保健决定。

这项规定执行起来可能比较麻烦,但却为伴侣提供了一种在没有文件的情况下参与其丧失行为能力的伴侣的医疗保健决策的方式。

一个人可以通过这份持久医疗保健授权书,或一份名为“预先指示”的单独文件,处理临终事宜,例如人工营养和其他维持生命的治疗。总检察长办公室在其网站上发布了一份预先指示范本, 预先医疗保健指示表格 | Maine.gov .

虽然书面的预先指示能够最大程度地确保当事人的意愿得到遵循,但缅因州法律也允许当事人通过程序为他人做出临终决定,前提是当事人能够证明其是其家人。配偶享有优先权,其次是“与患者在情感、身体和经济上与配偶关系相似的成年人”。这项规定执行起来可能比较繁琐,但却为伴侣提供了一种参与其临终决定的途径。

  1. 将要: 如果没有遗嘱,也未登记为同居伴侣,已故未婚人士的财产将转移给:(1) 其子女;(2) 其家人;(3) 如果无法找到近亲,则归国家所有。如果此人希望为其伴侣等其他人提供生活保障,则遗嘱至关重要。即使个人财产不多,也可以在遗嘱中指定管理其财产的人。如果此人有子女,可以指定子女的监护人,该监护人在其去世后生效。此类指定虽然对法院不具有约束力,但仍然受到法院的高度重视。
  2. 葬礼计划文件: 死者去世后,其近亲属将获得遗体的管理权。这意味着死者的伴侣无权自动移走遗体或安排最终安息之地。

如果某人 (1) 已根据州法律登记为同居伴侣;和/或 (2) 已书面指定另一个人(例如其伴侣或朋友)保管和管理其遗体,那么该人将拥有对遗体的管理权,并有权安排葬礼和选择最终安息地。81 提前准备好葬礼计划文件比在遗嘱中留下指示要好得多,因为遗嘱可能在死后数日内都找不到。

一个人是否需要律师来获取这些文件?

GLAD 建议与律师合作处理这些文件。

尽管有一些表格可用,但该表格可能不适合您个人的需求和愿望,并且可能不符合缅因州法律的具体要求,这将导致它们无效且不可执行。

此外,律师或许能够帮助您实现目标,例如,通过起草遗嘱,使其更有可能避免不满意的家庭成员提出遗嘱异议。此外,许多人认为律师协助至关重要,因为同性伴侣享有与已婚异性伴侣不同的税收待遇。不考虑税收后果,可能会在死亡或分居后导致巨大的困难。

如果未婚夫妇分居,关系或合作协议/合同的法律地位是什么?

分居时,如果夫妻双方有关系或合作协议/合同,则该协议/合同的条款将生效。

如果没有协议,关于共同财产和账户的普遍适用规则就会发挥作用。一些夫妻可能会卷入代价高昂且旷日持久的财产和财务诉讼,但却没有离婚制度中可预测的规则来帮助他们理清头绪。值得注意的是,法院根据公平原则和共同共有法,尊重地处理了同性同居伴侣关系的解除。

请注意:如果某人改变了主意,不再指定其代理人、医疗代理人、遗嘱受益人或执行人、或丧葬策划人,则应撤销这些文件,并通知所有获得这些文件副本的人员,并准备反映该人当前意愿的新文件。

有孩子的同性伴侣分手后应该遵守什么标准?

有孩子的同性伴侣分手后应该:

  1. 支持 LGBTQ+ 父母的权利;
  2. 尊重现有的关系,不论其法律标签如何;
  3. 分手后尊重孩子现有的父母关系;
  4. 为孩子们保持连续性;
  5. 寻求自愿解决方案;
  6. 记住,分手很难;
  7. 调查虐待指控;
  8. 不允许因缺乏协议或法律关系而决定结果;
  9. 将诉讼视为最后的手段;
  10. 拒绝诉诸恐同/恐变性人的法律和情绪来达到预期结果。

有关这些标准的更多详细信息,请参阅出版物《保护家庭:LGBTQ+ 家庭标准》,网址为: 保护家庭:LGBTQ+ 家庭标准 | GLAD

Hate Crimes | Maine

Does Maine have a hate crimes law?

Maine has a hate crimes law that permits consideration of the nature of the crime during the sentencing phase (17-A Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 1151 (8)(B)). If the defendant selected a person or his or her property for criminal activity because of, among other things, sexual orientation, then that fact can be taken into account. The law, however, does not include gender identity or expression among the factors to be taken into consideration upon sentencing.

Where can I call if I think I’ve been a victim of a hate crime?

In addition to the local police, you may contact the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Unit at (207) 626-8800, or online at http://www.maine.gov/ag/civil_rights/index.shtml.

What additional protections against hate crimes and harassment exist in Maine law?

  1. General Criminal Laws: Hate crimes are prosecuted under existing criminal laws, such as assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, murder, and so on. These generic laws do nothing to address the fact that an assault was hate-motivated, but they provide for criminal accountability, and the selection of a person (or his or her property) because of sexual orientation can then be considered in the sentencing phase.
  2. “Civil Rights Law”: On the civil side, Maine law provides for civil remedies when a person violates another person’s state or federal rights in certain circumstances (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4682). This provision, known as the “Maine Civil Rights Act” specifically states that a “person has the right to engage in lawful activities” without being subject to the infliction or threat of physical force or violence or the damage, destruction or trespass of property, motivated by reason of sexual orientation (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4684-A). Contact local law enforcement or the Attorney General’s office if you have been a victim under this law as the State is the primary enforcer of this statute. More specifically, the law allows a person to bring a private action against someone who uses or threatens physical force or violence, damages, destroys or trespasses on property, or threatens to damage, destroy or trespass on property in a manner that intentionally interferes or attempts to interfere with another person’s exercise or enjoyment of their rights under state or federal law (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4681). If those elements are met, then a person may bring an action for legal and equitable relief. Aside from the possibility of recovering money damages, equitable relief means that the person suing can obtain an order forbidding the attacker from coming near him or her, whether at home, at work, in school, or even from telephoning him or her. Actions must be brought within 6 years, although moving promptly is always an advantage (14 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 752). In addition to whatever relief a restraining order may provide, it is also important that violation of a restraining order is a criminal offense that can be prosecuted. You should report any violations of a restraining order to local police, and keep careful records of any and all violations. The Attorney General’s Office also has the power to bring civil rights actions on behalf of people who are harassed or threatened (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4681). The contact information is listed above.
  3. Harassment Law: Maine law permits people to petition the District or Superior Court for an order preventing harassment (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4652). “Harassment” is defined as “any repeated act of intimidation, harassment, physical force or threat of physical force directed against any person, family, or their property or advocate with the intention of causing fear or intimidation or to deter free exercise or enjoyment of any rights or privileges secured by” the Constitution or laws of Maine or the United States. Under this law, a person may seek emergency orders, and later seek temporary orders, and ultimately seek final orders of protection. In addition, with final orders, a successful plaintiff may be awarded damages for direct losses caused by the harassment (e.g., lost earnings, property repair or replacement), reasonable moving expenses and court costs and attorney’s fees (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4655). Violation of a court restraining order is a criminal offense (5 Me. Rev. Stat. sec. 4659).

联邦仇恨犯罪法可以通过哪些方式帮助调查和起诉仇恨犯罪?

这 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (访问 HR 2647 https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/909/text) was passed by Congress on October 22, 2009 and was signed into law by President Obama on October 28, 2009.  It expands the 1969 United States federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

首先,或许最重要的是,该法案允许地方和州执法机构向美国司法部长申请以下联邦援助:

  • 为刑事调查和起诉提供调查、技术、法医或检察支持,
  • 与调查和起诉仇恨犯罪相关的额外开支补助,以及
  • 拨款用于打击青少年仇恨犯罪。

在向地方和州当局提供援助时,优先考虑的是仇恨犯罪:

  • 罪犯在多个州犯下罪行,或
  • 这些案件发生在农村地区,而这些地区缺乏起诉此类犯罪所需的资源。

Second, for hate crimes that in some way involve crossing state or national borders, or involve or affect interstate commerce, and where a state does not have jurisdiction or has requested federal assumption of jurisdiction, or where the federal government feels that justice has not been served or that U.S. prosecution is in the public interest,  the Act authorizes the federal government to prosecute the case.

The Act also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to track statistics on hate crimes on the basis of gender and gender identity (statistics for the other groups are already tracked) and on crimes committed by and against juveniles.  This is the first federal law to explicitly extend legal protections to transgender persons.

歧视 | HIV/AIDS | 缅因州

关于艾滋病毒/艾滋病歧视的问题和答案。另请参阅我们的网页 测试和隐私 和 其他与艾滋病毒相关的法律.

缅因州是否有保护艾滋病毒感染者免受歧视的法律?

是的,缅因州已颁布反歧视法,保护艾滋病毒感染者在就业、住房和公共场所免受歧视。此外,还有许多联邦法律保护人们免受基于艾滋病毒感染状况的歧视。

HIV 感染者受到禁止基于残疾歧视的法律保护。这些法律包括联邦《美国残疾人法案》(ADA)以及缅因州残疾和反歧视法。

谁受到反歧视法的保护?

以下人员受到《缅因州人权法案》(MHRA)和《美国残疾人法案》(ADA)的保护:

  • 患有艾滋病或艾滋病毒阳性的人,即使他们无症状且没有外在或明显的疾病迹象。
  • 被视为或被认为感染艾滋病毒的人。
  • 未感染艾滋病毒 (HIV),但与艾滋病毒感染者有“关系”或“交往”的人,例如艾滋病毒感染者的朋友、恋人、配偶、室友、商业伙伴、拥护者和护理人员。

哪些法律保护艾滋病毒感染者免受就业歧视?

根据《医疗卫生与公众服务法》(MHRA) 1 和联邦《美国残疾人法案》(ADA),HIV 感染者受到就业相关歧视的保护。这两项几乎完全相同的法规都禁止基于残疾的就业歧视。缅因州法律涵盖拥有一名或多名员工的州立和私营雇主。《美国残疾人法案》则涵盖拥有 15 名或以上员工的雇主。

这些反歧视法禁止什么?

雇主不得仅仅因为申请人或雇员患有艾滋病毒或艾滋病等残疾而对其采取不利行动。这意味着雇主不得基于个人的艾滋病毒/艾滋病状况而解雇、拒绝雇用、重新雇用、晋升,或在雇佣条款或条件上进行其他歧视。

这里的重点是艾滋病患者或艾滋病毒感染者是否与类似情况下的其他申请人或员工受到不同的待遇。

缅因州的雇主可以要求求职者或雇员进行艾滋病毒检测吗?

不可以,雇主不得要求求职者或雇员接受艾滋病毒检测或披露艾滋病毒状况作为就业或维持就业的条件。4

然而,也有一个例外,即允许雇主基于“真正的职业资格”要求员工进行艾滋病毒检测。在极少数情况下,雇主能够坚持认为艾滋病毒检测是基于“真正的职业资格”的。

然而,最近的一项法律发展值得特别关注。一些法院裁定,执行侵入性操作的HIV阳性医护人员可以被解雇,因为这些操作可能给患者带来HIV传播风险。艾滋病法律项目认为这些案件的判决是错误的。然而,鉴于这些案例,如果雇主要求将HIV检测作为雇佣条件,医护人员获得法律咨询或援助至关重要。

在申请和面试过程中,雇主可能会询问员工的哪些健康状况?

根据《美国残疾人法案》和缅因州法律,雇主在员工入职前不得询问任何旨在确定其是否残疾的问题。以下是一些禁止询问的入职前问题:

  • 您曾经住院或接受过医生的护理吗?
  • 您是否曾经领取过工伤赔偿或残疾福利?
  • 你吃什么药?

雇主发出录用通知后,可以要求求职者进行体检吗?有哪些适用的准则?

在有条件录用后,《美国残疾人法案》(ADA) 和缅因州法律允许雇主要求应聘者进行体检或询问病史。但是,除非体检结果表明该人员无论在何种情况下都无法胜任工作职责,否则不得撤回录用通知。同一工作类别的每位应聘者都必须进行相同的医疗问询。此外,这些体检和病史记录必须与人事记录分开保存,并受到严格的保密保护。在雇佣关系开始后,《美国残疾人法案》(ADA) 和缅因州法律允许雇主要求应聘者进行体检,但前提是体检与工作相关且符合业务需要。

法院如何处理人们对执行侵入性手术的医疗保健人员(如外科医生)会将艾滋病毒传播给患者的担忧?

HIV 从医护人员传播给患者的风险被认为非常小,接近于零。然而,在医院试图限制或终止执行侵入性操作的 HIV 阳性医护人员的权利的案件中,法院的反应却异常恐惧,并坚持一个不可能实现的“零风险”标准。因此,少数根据《美国残疾人法案》(ADA)处理过此类问题的法院都支持了此类终止决定。

《美国残疾人法案》中的就业条款规定,如果员工“对他人的健康或安全构成直接威胁”,则其不具备从事该工作的资格。为了确定员工是否构成“直接威胁”,法院会分析以下因素:

  • 风险的性质、持续时间和严重程度;
  • 风险的概率;以及
  • 是否可以通过合理的安排消除风险。

在HIV阳性医护人员的案件中,法院忽视了风险发生的可能性极小,反而关注风险的性质、持续时间和严重程度。以下摘自近期一个案例,体现了法院的典型做法:

我们认为,Doe医生确实对其患者的健康和安全构成重大风险,且无法通过合理的措施消除。尽管目前可能没有记录在案的外科医生与患者之间传播的案例,但这种传播显然是可能的。而且,经皮损伤的风险永远无法通过合理的措施消除……因此,即使Doe医生采取了额外的预防措施……某种程度的风险仍将始终存在……”(Doe诉马里兰大学医疗系统公司案,50 F.3d 1261 (4 巡回法院,1995 年)。

值得注意的是,只有少数法院审理过HIV阳性医护人员的权利。艾滋病法律项目认为,这些案件的判决存在错误,与国会通过《美国残疾人法案》(ADA)的初衷相悖。由于该领域的法律尚不明确,任何可能面临就业歧视的医护人员都应该咨询律师或公共卫生倡导者。

评估雇主的歧视

虽然咨询律师可能会有所帮助,但以下步骤可以帮助您开始考虑和评估潜在的就业歧视问题。

1. 考虑一下不公平和非法歧视之间的区别。劳动法的底线是,员工可以被解雇,解雇的理由可以是正当理由、不正当理由,甚至无理由。一个人可以被合法解雇,原因有很多,包括“性格不匹配”。法律明确禁止的歧视性理由是不能被解雇的。

2. 要证明歧视索赔(即,您因歧视而不是某些正当理由而被解雇、降职等),您必须能够证明以下情况:

  • 雇主知道或得知您是艾滋病毒阳性或患有艾滋病;
  • 无论是否有合理的便利条件,您都具备履行该工作基本职责的资格;并且
  • 由于您的 HIV 或艾滋病状况而对您采取了不利措施,并且雇主给出的不利措施借口是虚假的。

3. 如果你的雇主知道你感染了艾滋病毒或艾滋病,请明确说明谁知道、他们是如何知道的以及他们何时发现的。如果你没有告诉雇主,雇主还有其他途径知道或怀疑你的艾滋病毒状况吗?

4. 考虑一下您认为自己由于 HIV 感染状况而受到区别对待的原因,包括以下方面:o 类似情况下的其他员工是否受到过区别对待或相同对待?

  • 您的雇主是否遵守了其人事政策?o 雇主是否在得知您的 HIV 状况后不久就开始对您施以不利待遇?
  • 您是否曾因病缺勤过一段时间,并且返回工作岗位后是否开始受到不良治疗?
  • 你的雇主对此事的描述是怎样的?你该如何证明雇主的说法是错误的?

5. 您是否因任何与艾滋病毒相关的健康或医疗问题而难以履行工作职责?您的病情是否妨碍您全职工作,或者需要请假去看医生、做些轻松的工作或找个压力较小的工作?您可以集思广益,想出一个合理的安排,并向雇主提出。

以下是需要考虑的几点:

  • 该公司如何运作?实际的住宿安排如何?
  • 站在主管的角度想想,对于你提出的合理安排,主管可能会提出哪些异议?例如,如果你需要在某个时间离开去看医生,谁来接替你的工作?

缅因州哪些法律禁止住房歧视?

根据缅因州法律14和1988年《国家公平住房修正案》15,在住房出售或租赁过程中,基于艾滋病毒感染状况进行歧视是违法的。任何人不得因其感染艾滋病毒或艾滋病,或因其被视为感染艾滋病毒或艾滋病而被驱逐出公寓。

此外,一个人不能因为与艾滋病毒感染者“有联系”而在住房方面受到歧视。这意味着一个人不能因为其室友、爱人、朋友、亲戚或商业伙伴感染艾滋病毒而受到歧视。

这些法律有例外吗?

是的,缅因州法律规定,出租自住建筑中不超过4个房间的房间,以及出租两户家庭的自住建筑,存在例外情况。此外,《公平住房法》在某些情况下豁免以下情况:不超过四个单元的自住建筑、未通过经纪人出售或出租的独栋住宅,以及由组织和私人俱乐部运营且仅限会员入住的住房。

缅因州法律是否保护人们免受医疗保健提供者、企业和其他公共场所的歧视?

根据《美国残疾人法案》(ADA) 和《健康与医疗改革法》(MHRA),将 HIV 感染者排除在公共场所(法律称之为“公共场所”)之外,或在公共场所向 HIV 感染者提供不平等或受限的服务均属违法行为。根据这两项法规,“公共场所”一词涵盖任何向公众提供服务的机构或企业。此外,1973 年《联邦康复法案》8 禁止任何接受联邦资助的机构或项目(包括医院、医疗或牙科诊所以及教育机构)基于残疾进行歧视。

因此,艾滋病毒感染者在几乎所有公共场所或企业都受到保护,免受歧视,包括酒吧、餐馆、酒店、学校、职业或其他教育项目、出租车、公共汽车、飞机和其他交通工具、健身俱乐部、医院以及医疗和牙科诊所,只要这些设施通常向公众开放。

此外,缅因州法律明确禁止基于残疾的教育歧视。

医疗保健专业人员对艾滋病毒感染者的歧视是否仍然是一个问题?

信不信由你,HIV 感染者仍然面临医院、医生、牙医和其他医疗机构的歧视。这种歧视可能表现为直接拒绝提供医疗服务,或因患者的 HIV 感染状况而进行非法转诊。

歧视艾滋病毒感染者的医生会提出哪些类型的论点?这些论点是否合理?

医生通常试图用以下两个论点之一来证明对艾滋病毒感染者的歧视是合理的:

  1. “治疗艾滋病毒感染者是危险的”(一些医生出于对艾滋病毒传播的非理性恐惧而拒绝治疗艾滋病毒感染者);
  2. “治疗艾滋病毒感染者需要特殊的专业知识”(一些医生错误地认为全科医生没有资格为艾滋病毒感染者提供护理,因此将患者转诊给其他医疗服务提供者)。

根据《美国残疾人法案》和缅因州法律,直接拒绝提供医疗和以患者残疾为由进行不必要的转诊都是违法的。

法院和医学专家对这些论点作何反应?

法院和医学专家对这些论点作出了如下回应:

1.“治疗艾滋病毒感染者是危险的”

医生和牙医可能会声称拒绝治疗艾滋病毒感染者是合理的,因为他们担心自己可能通过针刺或其他血液接触感染艾滋病毒。然而,针对医护人员的研究得出结论,职业暴露感染艾滋病毒的风险微乎其微,尤其是在采取普遍预防措施的情况下。

因此,1998年,美国最高法院就此案作出裁决 布拉格登诉阿博特案 医疗保健提供者不能因担心或害怕艾滋病毒传播而拒绝治疗艾滋病毒感染者(524 US 624 (1998))。

除了法律层面,美国医学会、美国牙科协会以及许多其他专业医疗保健组织都发布政策,认为拒绝为艾滋病毒感染者提供治疗是不道德的。

2.“治疗艾滋病毒感染者需要特殊的专业知识”

在这些情况下,歧视索赔的是非曲直取决于基于客观医学证据,患者所需的服务或治疗是否需要转诊给专科医生,或者是否属于服务提供者的服务和能力范围。

在 美国诉莫万特案,一家联邦审判法院驳回了一名牙医的诉求,该牙医声称艾滋病毒感染者需要专科医生进行常规牙科护理(898 F. Supp. 1157 (ED La 1995))。法院采纳了专家的证词,即除了普通牙医所具备的技能外,无需任何其他特殊培训或专业知识即可为艾滋病毒感染者提供牙科治疗。法院特别驳回了该牙医的论点,即他不具备资格,因为他没有及时掌握治疗艾滋病毒感染者所需的文献和培训。虽然此案发生在牙科护理的背景下,但它也适用于其他医疗环境。

《美国残疾人法案》中有哪些具体条款禁止医疗保健提供者歧视?

根据《美国残疾人法案》第三章(42 USC §§ 12181-12188),医疗保健提供者的以下行为属于违法行为:

  1. 建立接受医疗服务的“资格标准”,往往会筛选出艾滋病毒检测呈阳性的患者。
  2. 剥夺艾滋病病毒感染者“充分、平等地享受”医疗服务的权利,或者剥夺艾滋病病毒感染者与其他患者一样“受益”医疗服务的机会。
  3. 为艾滋病病毒阳性患者提供“不同或单独”的服务,或未能在“最综合的环境中”为患者提供服务。
  4. 拒绝向已知与艾滋病毒感染者有“关系”或“交往”的人(如配偶、伴侣、子女或朋友)提供平等的医疗服务。

哪些具体的医疗保健行为构成对艾滋病毒感染者的非法歧视?

将上述 ADA 的具体规定应用于医疗保健实践,以下做法是违法的:

  • 医疗保健提供者不能因为认为存在艾滋病毒传播风险或只是因为医生不愿意治疗艾滋病毒感染者而拒绝治疗艾滋病毒感染者。
  • 医疗保健提供者不能仅仅因为患者感染了艾滋病毒就同意仅在医生常规办公室以外的治疗环境(例如专科医院诊所)中为患者进行治疗。
  • 除非所需治疗超出医生的常规执业范围或专业范围,否则医疗保健提供者不得将 HIV 阳性患者转诊至其他诊所或专科医生。ADA 要求 HIV 阳性患者的转诊应与其他患者的转诊相同。但是,如果患者的 HIV 相关疾病超出了医疗服务提供者的执业能力或服务范围,则可以将患者转诊至专科护理机构。
  • 医疗保健提供者不得为了在强制规定的职业安全与健康管理局 (OSHA) 和疾病预防控制中心 (CDC) 感染控制程序之外采取额外预防措施而增加 HIV 阳性患者的服务费用。在某些情况下,采取不必要的额外预防措施甚至可能违反《美国残疾人法案》(ADA),因为这些措施往往会仅仅因为 HIV 感染状况而使患者蒙受耻辱。
  • 医疗保健提供者不能限制治疗艾滋病毒阳性患者的预定时间,例如坚持要求艾滋病毒阳性患者在一天结束时来就诊。

根据联邦法律,针对歧视有哪些潜在的补救措施?

要根据《美国残疾人法案》提起就业歧视索赔,雇主必须至少拥有 15 名员工。申请人必须在歧视行为发生之日起 180 天内向平等就业机会委员会 (EEOC) 提出索赔。申请人可以从 EEOC 撤销 ADA 索赔,并向州法院或联邦法院提起诉讼。

根据《美国残疾人法案》,若要就公共场所的歧视提起诉讼,当事人无需先向行政机构提出申请,只需向州法院或联邦法院提起禁令救济(即寻求法院命令停止歧视行为)。除非美国司法部提出索赔,否则违反《美国残疾人法案》第三章的行为不予赔偿。但是,如果当事人针对接受联邦资助的实体提起诉讼,则可以根据《联邦康复法案》追偿赔偿金。

为了根据《康复法》提出索赔,个人可以向联邦卫生与公众服务部地区办事处提出行政投诉和/或直接向法院提起诉讼。

根据《国家公平住房法》,如需就住房歧视提起索赔,个人可在违规行为发生后一年内向美国住房和城市发展部 (HUD) 提出投诉。个人也可在违规行为发生后两年内提起诉讼。无论个人是否已向 HUD 提出投诉,均可提起诉讼。

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