Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham to Offer Partner Benefits

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is getting ready to offer health insurance benefits to same-sex partners of its faculty and staff.

The benefits are slated to begin January 1 and will make the UAB the first of Alabama's big three universities to offer such a benefit. Neither the University of Alabama nor Auburn University offers domestic-partner benefits, though according to AL.com, UA is considering the issue.

UAB's decision to offer benefits comes from a desire to be competitive in attracting talent to its campus. Dale Turbough, a UAB spokeswoman, told the website that the change was made "to create a positive, supportive, and diverse work environment."

Coincidentally, the benefits come just months after the release of One Closed Door After Another, a documentary by a UAB film student that looked at how the lack of same-sex partner benefits at the university was discouraging top talent.