A Nov. 4 forum sponsored by Wayne State 's Center for the Study of Citizenship included John Graham, former director of employee benefits for Comerica and author of that company's domestic partner benefits policy. He told the audience that Detroit lags the rest of the country in providing partner benefits. "Folks on the coast would find us very backward, very out of touch," he said, adding that "there hasn't been a discussion about this on the West Coast for seven or eight years, but we're still slugging it out here." He said two-thirds of employees who signed up for benefits under Comerica's program were unmarried, partnered heterosexuals.