I love America, and I love Cameron Russell. Unfortunately, at this moment I can marry her, but can't marry the man of my dreams.
Someday, someway...I'll meet him. He'll be kind of shy, and semi good looking too.
And I'll be certain, he's my guy by the things he'll like to do. Like:
- walking in the rain
- wishing on the stars up above
- and being so in love
The flag of equal marriage was designed by Carl Tashian, you can read about it here on his site.
Not allowing same-sex marriage is a violation of basic civil rights (which include protection from discrimination). Under United States law marriage grants couples many rights. Read up on thse rights and find out what same-sex couples are being excluded from.
Tax Benefits
* Filing joint income tax returns with the IRS and state taxing authorities.
* Creating a "family partnership" under federal tax laws, which allows you to divide business income among family members.
Estate Planning Benefits
* Inheriting a share of your spouse's estate.
* Receiving an exemption from both estate taxes and gift taxes for all property you give or leave to your spouse.
* Creating life estate trusts that are restricted to married couples, including QTIP trusts, QDOT trusts, and marital deduction trusts.
* Obtaining priority if a conservator needs to be appointed for your spouse -- that is, someone to make financial and/or medical decisions on your spouse’s behalf.
Government Benefits
* Receiving Social Security, Medicare, and disability benefits for spouses.
* Receiving veterans' and military benefits for spouses, such as those for education, medical care, or special loans.
* Receiving public assistance benefits.
Employment Benefits
* Obtaining insurance benefits through a spouse's employer.
* Taking family leave to care for your spouse during an illness.
* Receiving wages, workers' compensation, and retirement plan benefits for a deceased spouse.
* Taking bereavement leave if your spouse or one of your spouse’s close relatives dies.
Medical Benefits
* Visiting your spouse in a hospital intensive care unit or during restricted visiting hours in other parts of a medical facility.
* Making medical decisions for your spouse if he or she becomes incapacitated and unable to express wishes for treatment.
Death Benefits
* Consenting to after-death examinations and procedures.
* Making burial or other final arrangements.
Family Benefits
* Filing for stepparent or joint adoption.
* Applying for joint foster care rights.
* Receiving equitable division of property if you divorce.
* Receiving spousal or child support, child custody, and visitation rights if you divorce.
Housing Benefits
* Living in neighborhoods zoned for "families only."
* Automatically renewing leases signed by your spouse.
Consumer Benefits
* Receiving family rates for health, homeowners', auto, and other types of insurance.
* Receiving tuition discounts and permission to use school facilities.
* Other consumer discounts and incentives offered only to married couples or families.
Other Legal Benefits and Protections
* Suing a third person for wrongful death of your spouse and loss of consortium (loss of intimacy).
* Suing a third person for offenses that interfere with the success of your marriage, such as alienation of affection and criminal conversation (these laws are available in only a few states).
* Claiming the marital communications privilege, which means a court can’t force you to disclose the contents of confidential communications between you and your spouse during your marriage.
* Receiving crime victims' recovery benefits if your spouse is the victim of a crime.
* Obtaining immigration and residency benefits for noncitizen spouse.
* Visiting rights in jails and other places where visitors are restricted to immediate family.
The back story:
In 1902, when the women's suffrage movement was just getting warmed up, the American flag had 45 stars :
In protest, the suffragists created their own US flag with only four stars, representing the four states that allowed women to vote:
(source: The Oldest and Largest Herstory Site on the Internet)
This flag flew at the podium of the First International Womens Suffrage Conference in 1902, and it was Carl Tashian's inspiration for a 2004 re-appropriation of the American flag. Unfortunately, three of the four states that were so progressive regarding women's suffrage in 1902 have state-wide same-sex marriage bans today. Carl Tashian feels that today's American flag is co-opted as a logo for pro-war nationalism and conservative "family values". So he is taking it back for gay marriage.
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