Friday, February 29, 2008

Look to Human Rights Pioneers in Gay Marriage Debate

(February 29, 2008) — There's a famous line from a speech Sojourner Truth delivered at a women's rights convention in 1851 that comes to mind as Monroe County fights against recognizing gay marriage.

"Ain't I a woman?" said the former slave and early feminist, in response to concerns that women weren't strong enough, smart enough or Christ-like enough to merit equal rights.

Those are among the arguments against allowing same-sex marriage. But County Executive Maggie Brooks says she's looking out for taxpayers in appealing a state court decision recognizing gay marriages performed outside of New York state.

Ain't gays taxpayers, too?


Indeed. Read the whole article at The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

3 comments:

John said...

What do taxes have do with it?

John Hosty said...

It is an interesting paradox bigots have created for themselves John. On one hand the GLBT community is an elitest group with much affluence when it suits them to paint us that way, then when it is equally convenient we become a burden on taxpayers as well.

It's called having your cake and eating it too.

Apparently this woman needs to be informed that GLBT people also pay taxes, and that we deserve equal representation from our government.

I don't give a shit if the bigots down the street hate me, say they hate, tell their kids to hate me, etc. What I care about is my government telling them they are right directly or indirectly by giving me a different set of rights. That's not freedom of speech or religion, it's tyranny.

John said...

The idea that, in macro-economic terms, gay marriage impacts the revenues to the state is complete and utter bullshit.

The "marriage penalty" in our federal tax code is real, but since the Bush tax cuts of 2003, it effects ONLY couples beyond the 15% marginal bracket.

If gay couples are as rich as our opponents say, then they are outside the "marriage penalty" relief of 2003, hence gay couples will pay even more in taxes.