What People Are Saying
Kate Kendall
Sandy and I do our very best to raise our kids to live with integrity, power in the world and openness to what is possible. The core values we try to instill in Julian and Ariana are compromised every time we deny who Sandy and I are to each other and every time we diminish what we mean to each other. We will no longer participate in the government’s erasure of our relationship and our marriage. We want our kids to grow up with the courage to step out and step up, even if it is difficult or risky. For us, refusing to lie on our taxes is a straightforward, and pretty minor way to demonstrate that courage ourselves.
As a lawyer and a legal advocate for the LGBT community, I am often in a position to advise people to exercise great caution and to comply in most cases with the letter of the law, even when that means denying who we are. This is my small way of saying, where we can, we are not going to play the game anymore.
It is also a quandary when legaally married visitors from other countries enter the U.S. We usually get asked, "What is the relationship between you two?" If we answer honestly (we ARE married), we risk being refused entry by a bigoted border agent.
WHY is America requiring people to LIE about themselves? They did it for years with Don't Ask; Don't Tell - and we know how that turned out.
I remember (and miss) the days when honesty was a virtue above all else.
George
I live in New York, which allows for same sex marriage. My spouse is not American, and I cannot sponsor him for immigration even though we are married, because immigration is at the federal level, and is not recognized.
I am debating whether or not to file a federal tax return as married, I can do that for the state, but must file as single for the federal. This whole situation is absurd.
Kevin
as an American citizen and a veteran and a tax payer I should have the same rights as everyone else. I should have the right to marry the person of MY choice and the government benefits that my sister and brother have.. Why take my tax money if you won't give me the rights that tax money pays for?
Cathy
I am shocked at this lie forced on gay couples by IRS and the American Government. But not surprised. Time for all Americans to have equal rights, just look to Canada it works here.
Richard
How do we choose where to lie and where not to lie? Get the laws figured out.
Kelly
I agree - I can file as married in NY state but have to lie about my marital status.
Deborah
Cliff and I are in a battle right now with or Government:
We have been audited and we have filed married jointly since 2005.
In 2007 we sent a sworn notice to Our Government specifically outlining our intent to disavow any and all laws that disavow the sanctity of our family (see link below).
Our Government is attempting to rip us apart as a financial/family unit: After 27 Years: Good Luck: But the bureaucratic way around reality is to be nonsensical.
In 2001/2004 Cliff owed taxes and we said we were married, and Our IRS Called us Married and Jointly came after both of us. We have a gluttony of written proof! Today Our Government has told us we are not a family: arbitrarily split our joint and business checking accounts apart: disavowed and disjoined us from our legal business organization: more than doubled our taxable income by ignoring anything other than deposits: and best of all claimed one of our companies: MrLou's Art generated 70,000 in sales on 0 Cost of Goods Sold, Materials or Supplies. I have Quarterly State Sales Tax Receipts from the year that prove gross sales about $4000.On COGS around $800.
BTW I am an Artist with a 28% total disability to my entire person!
We drive a 17 and 10-year-old car and live in a rented $850/mo house.
Yup: $70,000 with ZERO capital attributed to one disabled person.
Fantasy it seems is how it is done!
Please don’t suggest we need a lawyer.
We do. Have one that is: the civil right ramifications ARE Way over his head.
The time IS NOW! This case is Ripe! We want the fight!
We are not Free because we Are Americans.
We are Free Because We ARE.
We are Americans because WE ARE OUR GOVERNMENT.
The only permission I needed to be married was my husbands. And he said yes over a quarter century ago and it has been so from that day forward: and no one has been harmed ~ but us!
We will move forward with or without help: we have no choice every little step is one step closer on the journey: company is welcomed!
Thanks for reading this.
Be well. Cliff and Lou PhinneyStoltz:
mrlou@mrlousart.com
cliff@cliffordt.com
Please Pass These On Both Were Written By Me. Thanks.
Proposed Amendment
http://mrlousart.com/MLA/POL/ProposedAmendment.html
2007 Sworn Declaration Of Intent.: Published to IRS http://mrlousart.com/MLA/POL/DOIFlash.asp
Cliff and Lou
The DOMA is degrading. It discriminates against good U.S. citizens for no other reasons but hate and ignorance. How can we call ourselves a free country when we systematically deny certain people rights based on one interpretation of one religion's dogma??
Holli
I refuse to perjure my self again and deny that I was legally married. I married a wonderful man on Dec 23,2008 in Greenwich, Connecticut before the Justice of The Peace. As a gay man and former member of USAF, my integrity as a man is at stake. If I sign form 1040 and check single status I am LYING and won't do it any more. We should all send amended returns Form 1040X for last 3 years to correct the error of IRS ways. The can't tell us to lie and demand the truth on everything else.
JOHN
I think we as the LGBTQ community, we should be allowed to marry just like everyone else and file taxes AS a MARRIED COUPLE. More heterosexual relationships fail within the first 5 years then homosexual couples! I'm engaged to a wonderful woman and we DO plan to get married. I don't want to choose "single" when I CLEARLY have a marriage license that states I'm married. Yes, I believe I don't need a marriage license to tell my fiancée how much I love her and that I want to be with her till the day we die, but if we go through with it, I am NOT putting single on my tax forums because THAT would be lying. Whether the government chooses to acknowledge it or not, I'm not lying and putting "single".
