18 JUSt Ollt ’ april 1. 2005
JMJhh'MInews
D enial of M arriage R ights
C osts S ame -S ex C ouples H undreds
of T housands of D ollars
O ver T heir L ifetime , R eport F inds
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As millions of married couples are signing
and sending off their tax returns prior to the
April 15 tax day deadline, a groundbreaking
report released March 24 by the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and
Love Makes a Family of Connecticut reveals
that same-sex couples face widespread econom
ic disparities and hardships because they are
denied equal marriage rights.
The report takes situations commonly faced
by Connecticut couples and compares the eco
nomic benefits afforded to married opposite-sex
couples to those available to same-sex couples.
Two same-sex couples residing in Connecticut
are profiled to show the real-life costs to them
and their children of not being able to marry.
Economic Benefits of Marriage Under Federal
and Connecticut Law is the first comprehensive
analysis of rhe disparities same-sex couples in
Connecticut face in federal and state income
tax, Social Security benefits, gift tax, estate tax,
workers compensation and line-of-duty death
benefits.
—
Given the passage of the federal Defense of
Marriage Act in 1996, which allows the federal
government to withhold recognition of same-
sex marriages performed in any state, in the
short run same-sex marriages in Connecticut
would not be recognized by federal bureaucra
cies. However, many believe DOMA to be
unconstitutional, and it is possible that in the
future DOMA will be struck down or repealed.
It is also possible that a president and Con
gress more supportive of equal rights for queers
will afford these federal protections to married
same-sex couples. While same-sex couples in
Connecticut would not be able to immediately
access those federal protections, if they are
allowed to marry they have the potential to
access these protections in the future. However,
if same-sex couples are only allowed to form
civil unions, under the current legal framework
they would not be able to access any federal ben
efits or protections.
On July 4. 1965, 10 people carried signs in
front of Independence Hall supporting gay
emancipation. By July 4, 1969, 150 people
participated. The annual demonstrations were
abandoned in 1970 in order to join forces for
the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots.
M arker to B e U nveiled
in P hiladelphia : I ndependence H all
D esignated as S ite of F irst
G ay and L esbian D emonstration
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission has approved a historical marker
recognizing the area around Independence Hall
as the site of the first organized and annual gay
and lesbian civil rights demonstration.
“We are thrilled that this important land
mark has been approved unanimously by the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commis
sion,” said Malcolm Lazin, executive director of
Equality Forum.
Equality Forum prepared the application
with advice from gay pioneers Frank Kameny
and Barbara Cuttings, who helped organize the
first demonstration. The event was held July 4,
1965, at Independence Hall.
Gov. Ed Rendell is expected to unveil the
historical marker May 1 during the National
Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the
GLBT Civil Rights Movement at Independence
Hall. The 16-hour event includes a Gay Pio
neers &. 40 Heroes Tribute in front of Indepen
dence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center, the
SundayOUT street festival, a concert with
Cyndi Lauper, the Gay Icons Pavilion at Inde
pendence Visitors Center, an interfaith service
with Bishop Gene Robinson at the historic
Christ Church Philadelphia, conversations with
gay leaders at the National Constitution Center,
entertainers, celebrities and parties.
The national celebration is part of Equality
Forum 2005, which features more than 100 pro
grams, including 14.parties and 40 special
events. More than 105 local and national non
profit organizations and 29 national and inter
national queer executive directors will be par
ticipating. A totaj of 32 states and the District of
Columbia will hold state receptions April 30.
There is no registration fee for Equality
Forum 2005, and all substantive events, includ
ing the national celebration, are free.
A labama B ill W ould F orbid
G ay A doptions
In Oregon, a measure before the Legislature
would put homosexuals at the bottom of any list
of people wanting to adopt—behind the usual
suspects: straight married couples.
In Alabama, things are grimmer. The Legis
lature there is weighing a proposal that would
make it illegal for a person who is gay to adopt a
minor at all. The recently approved Marriage
Protection Act, which acknowledges only
unions between a man and a woman, effective
ly bars same-sex couples from adopting, and this
proposal would seal the deal.
The proposal was put forward by state Sen.
Hank Erwin Jr., R-Montevallo.
Current adoption policies do not preclude a
gay individual from adopting a child, but
because of the Marriage Protection Act, gay
couples are deemed ineligible.
_ The 2000 census
indicated
Alabama
had 8,109 same-sex
partner households,
representing about 0.5
percent of all house
holds in the state.
Sandy Holmes, pro
gram manager with the
office of adoption for
the Alabama Depart
ment
of
Human
Alabama state Sen.
Resources, said 641 Hank Erwin Jr.,
children in the state R-Montevallo, is
were awaiting adoption no friend of gay
in February—272 of adoptive parents.
whom had no family
identified to give them a permanent home,
according to The Montgomery Advertiser.
A merican L egacy F oundation
S upports N ational LGBT
H ealth A wareness W eek
with R esources to Q uit S moking
Free resources to help queers quit smoking
are available through the American Legacy
Foundation in recognition of the third annual
National LGBT Health Awareness Week,