Interesting Article: "Being married doesn’t count when gay partners do their taxes"
~The Orlando Sentinel
ORLANDO, Fla. — When Kathryn Norsworthy fills out her federal tax-return forms, she does so as a single person. So does her wife.
“When we file taxes, it’s sort of like we’re roommates,” Norsworthy said of her inability to legally combine incomes with her partner of 17 years, Deena Flamm. “There’s no legal connection.”
There are many advantages to filing a joint tax return, tax experts say, but because same-sex marriages and partnerships, though legal in some states, are not recognized under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, gay couples don’t have access to the same tax benefits available to married heterosexuals...
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Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Letter I Received from Senator Al Frankin about Repealing DOMA
January 5, 2012
Dear Justin,
Thank you for contacting me about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). I appreciate hearing from you on this critical issue.
DOMA, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 1996, excludes same-sex couples from marriage and allows states to refuse to recognize legal same-sex marriages from other states. This law discriminates against same-sex couples in committed, long-term relationships.
Several federal courts have recently ruled that DOMA is unconstitutional. Further, the Department of Justice has recently announced that it will no longer defend DOMA in court.
As you may know, I have long supported equal rights for all Americans, regardless of race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation. For this reason, I am a proud cosponsor of S. 598, the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA and allow the federal government to recognize legal same-sex marriages.
This bill is just one of many steps in ensuring same-sex individuals and couples enjoy the same rights as other Americans. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this and other initiatives that will further that goal.
Thank you again for contacting me, and please do not hesitate to do so in the future on this or any other matter of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Al Franken
United States Senator
Dear Justin,
Thank you for contacting me about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). I appreciate hearing from you on this critical issue.
DOMA, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 1996, excludes same-sex couples from marriage and allows states to refuse to recognize legal same-sex marriages from other states. This law discriminates against same-sex couples in committed, long-term relationships.
Several federal courts have recently ruled that DOMA is unconstitutional. Further, the Department of Justice has recently announced that it will no longer defend DOMA in court.
As you may know, I have long supported equal rights for all Americans, regardless of race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation. For this reason, I am a proud cosponsor of S. 598, the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA and allow the federal government to recognize legal same-sex marriages.
This bill is just one of many steps in ensuring same-sex individuals and couples enjoy the same rights as other Americans. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this and other initiatives that will further that goal.
Thank you again for contacting me, and please do not hesitate to do so in the future on this or any other matter of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Al Franken
United States Senator
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