Gay Marriage Equality for All

Edith Windsor was the widowed spouse of Thea Spyer. When Thea died Edith did what any spouse would do when inheriting an estate. She filed for survivors spouse federal Tax Exemption. She was denied based on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which gave no benefits to gay couple or recognized their union. She filed suit against the federal government basically saying that DOMA denied her of what every American should have equality. This started her on a journey she would never dreamt of.

The suit Edith filed was roughly 5years ago and like a slow domino effect states are failing to win any case to bar same sex marriage. The states that are putting up the hardest fight are the Bible belt states. Some of these states are; Texas, Alabama and Florida. These bible belt states should be called”let me rule your life states because of their overly religious viewpoints. They seem to think they know the best way to conduct your life and interpret laws which is usually to their benefit. The latest state to fall was Texas on February 19^th 2015, which makes for 38 states that same sex couples can legally marry. These bible belt states judges have done all they can to block same sex couples from getting a marriage license even to the point of ordering clerks not to issue marriage licenses. It is ridiculous to think that by having a same sex couple in your state that would somehow diminish that states value in anyway.

Exactly what are they afraid of? Same sex couples are not real estate where property value will decrease if you don’t keep up your house. Gay couples want the same as any heterosexual couple to raise families, bring value to their neighborhoods and put dollars in the state. What is wrong with that?

I sit here and try to think of one negative benefit that striking down DOMA would have on your life or mine. The religious reasoning of course is marriage is between a man and woman not 2 men or 2 women. This is the concept that you’re hit over the head with time and time again.

DOMA should never have been signed into law by President Clinton 1996. There were some states before DOMA was enacted that allowed for civil union or domestic partnership. Civil unions and domestic partnership carried no real value in terms of federal laws. These unions were only recognized for their worth only in the states they lived in. Same sex couples more and more were engaging in these unions but were frustrated that they were not getting the same protections or benefits that marriage would afford them. It was as if the more they voiced their unsatisfaction the more nervous lawmakers started to get. The lawmakers might have felt the best way to prevent this from going any further in their own state was to enact a law. DOMA was the stopgap for further movement on the matter of gay marriage. The value of marriage for many lawmakers had to be protected and what better way than a law. There was no consideration of love or commitment to these lawmakers. That was until Edith Windsor filed suit against the federal government then lawmakers had to take notice to this group of people.

Gay couples have had a lot to rejoice about lately. They can now have the same federal benefits as a married heterosexual couple. This means they can be recognized as spouses and any other term that heterosexual couples are known by. They can now go to the hospital and be included in the care and decision making of their partner. When tax season comes around they no longer have to file single but now they can file married jointly or separately. Oh happy day to be recognized as married to someone that you love and plan to spend the rest of your life with.

I’m sure Edith is dancing in her boots for all her lawsuit has accomplished. She was the catalyst that has brought a change that many gays only dreamt about.

Supreme Court Hear the Plea

There are still states to fall but finally the Supreme Court before June will resolve this issue for all time. There are many that think this is just a formality since the Supreme Court has done nothing to impact gay couples from marrying. I’m sure not everyone is happy with the way events have unfolded, but as with any issue someone is going to be unhappy. If people would only think this isn’t about religious beliefs but about giving equality to a group of people that never should have been denied.