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.
I'm unmarried (but in a committed relationship) and straight, but I still think that DOMA is an idiotic waste of ink and paper.
The gender of two adults seeking to marry shouldn't matter.
All anyone should care about, is that two people love each other so much, they want to exchange vows and declare their mutual love to the world.
Sean
If the marriage IS legal, then it IS ILLEGAL to say you are not married. So, this is entrapment by the US government.
michael
DOMA's requirement that my wife and I (married for 3 years) file our taxes as single at the federal level costs us extra money to have our taxes prepared every year. In addition to the trials and tribulations of figuring out who should claim what, we have to prepare twice as many state tax forms as "dummies" for the incorrect relationship status on our federal taxes. The whole process has been further complicated by the decision last year that same-sex married couples in community property states must evenly divide income and assets on the tax forms, making it appear that we are blatantly lying about our finances when compared to the W2s we submit. It is a headache and more importantly it is WRONG.
Meredith
We need a consistent standard. All legally married couples should be allowed to file jointly, or abandon the joint filing status. Treating some legally married couples differently is inconsistent with the ideal of equality upon which this great nation is founded.
For the sake of our American ideal of equality, treat all married couples the same.
Rachel
There was a time when the US Government was a government for it's CITIZENS, now it seems the US Government is all about the FAMILY and it's really just the definition of family that gets citizens in an uproar. When did "We the people" turn into "We the family" anyway?
Stephen
Sept 25, 2011 began as any other day fall day in New England. Only it wasnt going to stay 'normal'. By the end of the day, I was legally married to my wife in front of our friends and family. Everything was perfect - from the dress, the pictures, the dinner, and cake. As we sat and reflected on how lucky we were to be able to be recognized as spouses, the reality sunk in that it was only in the state. The federal government wasnt going to acknowledge us as married. No matter - we said we would file our taxes jointly this year. She began her taxes on Turbo Tax (online) and it gave her the option the click on 'Married - Same Sex'. Of course she clicked on it, and sadly, a pop up box appeared saying that due to DOMA, it is required she file as single. Due to the unique nature of our taxes this year, we will abide by that pathetic discrimination and file as singles. However, next year, if this law stands, so will we. We will file as married. My heart is heavy with this difficult decision of lying on our taxes..especially since we uprooted our lives and relocated to a state 1200 miles away from where we were living so that we could be legally married and recognized as wives. Its time to end DOMA.
Amanda
Equality for everyone
Marge
The members of Congress who believe this is a states rights issue are also the ones in government who control the federal tax laws. What is their reasoning for this inconsistency? There must be an ulterior motive. How many of them have stock in tax return companies? Is money the underlying reason? It usually is.
Gloria
The IRS needs to do the right thing despite DOMA! The IRS needs to recognize the laws of the States. PERIOD!!
Daniel
Married is married. The IRS and the federal government need to catch up.
