what rights are gay/lesbian couples missing out on by not being able to be legally married?

Question

I was Married for 10 years and divorced for 7 been with the same woman for 7 years and the only draw back I can see is not being able to put her on my insurance. Neither one of our families would try to screw the other partner as far as property or estates.

Answer 1

Neither of your families would do that, however alot of gays and lesbians have families who are not accepting of their relationship, therefore their family would and could do that.

As well as insurance and filing joint tax returns and things of that nature...

There are alot, some of which I dont even know about but the one that concerns me the most is the immediate family policy in hospitals. Not a blood relative or legal spouse, not admitted. Inheritance rights for children. The decision of what to do with my remains, my significant other knows this more than my mother, and i trust her more to abide with my wishes.

Social security for children we may have been raising.

Blood relatives can actually fight a will and win in court against the partner of a deceased person.

I'm sure there are alot that I'm even missing, but most importantly, the legal right to do so. I want to marry the person I love.

And that old adam and eve not adam and steve crap is so played out. Anyone who takes the bible to literally mean God created ONE man and ONE woman too populate the earth is a complete and utter moron. Or shall I say an incetuous moron...

Answer 2

The right to leave you Property to the surviving Partner without penalty of taxes , you also can't leave your 401K or any type of insurance . The law also states that if you leave her these things and she is not a first class inheritor { Legal spouse , son , daughter , mother , farther . } or a second class Inheritor { sister , brother, niece , nephew } the taxes she will have to pay can be 40% of the value of the estate . If Your sister or brother mother or farther make a claim on the estate even if you have a will they can get a percentage of the estate without a doubt . If you own a home together she could end up using a large portion of the money and insurance ect. that you left her to pay the taxes on the estate and end up having to buy back your half of the house from your relatives . Even if you family doesn't make any claims on the estate she would still loose about 40 to 50% to taxes as a 3rd class inheritor . If you could legally marry the estate would pass directly to her with out issue and no one including uncle Sam could take it from her . She is your legal spouse and would not have to pay any taxes until half of the total estate is valued at over 1 million dollars .

Answer 3

We have had "gay marriage" in Canada for about a year now and guess what? The country DIDN'T fall apart. You can have the same too. To answer your question:
1. To have the union between 'Two Spouses" recognized under the law, and by greater society.
2. Pensions.
3. Extended medical insurance coverage.
4. Dental care coverage.
5. Parental leave rights.
6. Life insurance.
7. Income tax (lower for married couples).
8. Time off work to care for sick children.
9. Legal guardianship over children.
10. The right to child support payments from the non-custodial parent in the event of divorce.
11. Equitable property/asset division in the event of divorce.
12. The right to wear a wedding ring as tangible evidence of one's committment to one's spouse and of everlasting love.

I'm sure there are a hundred more reasons but I need to make a sandwich right now. Blue Owl Boy did a brilliant and thorough job. He deserves best answer (or at least a great sandwich).

Answer 4

The Right to not have the government tell us we can not

The right to protect our property

Not everyone can trust there families

And if they take this away what is next for everyone???

If my partner was hospitalized the doctors and nurses could keep us out. Have you ever seen "If the walls could talk 2"? A couple of mannnny years 1 dies and the hospital did not even tell her or allow her in the room with her partner. Then a 3rd cousin came in and took everything and sold her home.

I like as much protection as I can get cause you never know how people will react after you are gone. I have a homophobic brother in law and a dead-beat father that I do not talk to.

Answer 5

it sounds like your in a fortunate situatuion, but not everyone is. first as being a non married couple it is harder to adopt in most states. In some states only one person in the couple can act as legal guardian. If the couple was able to adopt a child and only one of them is the guradian then if anything happens to the child and the other parent isnt with the guardian he may be barred from seeing the child in the hospital, getting information from the school, etc. the insurance your already mentioned but in some states unmarried couples are not able to receive any help when buying a home, in fact in some areas it is illegal for unmarried couples to cohabitate. You can always have an adavnced medical directive and will drawn up but your biologcial family does have the option of challenging them in court and there's a good chance it can be overturned. You obviously can file a joint income tax which may or may not work out to your benefit. The really big kicker in my mind is that you can cohabitate with a person and love them with all your heart for 40 years but if you have to rely on government funding for a nursing home when your older you are not guareenteed the right to be in the same nursing home unless your married. The list goes on and on about all the things you wouldnt normally think about, but there are over 400 federal rights relegated to married coulpes that homosexual couples are losing out on.

Answer 6

Besides the right to be legally married... Nothing. You can own property jointly. You can sign a power of attorney so that your partner can have say over your medical treatment if you don't want your next of kin to have that right. You can have a joint checking/savings account. You can leave everything to your partner in your Will. You can even adopt children together or do the surrogate thing. Your relationship will have the same issues and drama as a marriage or as a couple that's just shacking together. And never mind that person who answered "blessings". If it was meant to be your blessing, God will bless you, no matter what's going with you. That's just my view. I'm not gay and I don't see anything wrong with same sex marriage.

Answer 7

There are both rights and privileges

--Filing a joint income tax statement
--Insurance without tax liability through one's employer
--“Insurable interest” or the loss the beneficiary would realize if the insured were to die. In a same-sex sexual partnership there is a “rebuttable presumption” that both partners should be economically self-sufficient.
--Welfare and enuemployment benefits
--Hospital visitation rights (free to the married, a fee for the rest)
--Joint bank loans regarded more favorably (mortgages, etc.)
--In some states and cases, exemption from inheritance tax
--Use of rights under the Family Leave and Medical Act
--Housing: some communities have considered zoning laws that would limit the ability of legally unrelated people to live together
--Joint travel discounts
--Lower insurance rates and coverage for driving a spouse's car
--Guardianship
--Exemption from testifying against a spouse
--Social Security benefits
--Sharing a room in a nursing home
--Joint property rights (free to the married, all others pay lawyers and fees)
--Eligibility for employment only offered to couples (as some housekeeping positions)
--Right to sue for wrongful death of a spouse
--Passing property to a spouse without tax

These are some of the bigger ones.

Answer 8

not being allowed to add her to your insurance is just one of the many inconveniences... try accessing her medical records in an emergency situation... or being allowed to visit her in a hospital room when "only immediate family is allowed- what relation are you?"

try getting access to her bank account information if something happens to her and you aren't on it for PC reasons...

there are many issues with this... and they all come down to the fact that everyone should have the right to wed the person they choose- regardless of gender!

Susan

Answer 9

You answered one of my questions earlier hun.I think that as long as you love that person then you are married to them.AS far as being gay/lesbian then I think you have to go to a seperate state to get married.and by the way thanks for your advice I will try to take it.Its just so hard for me to understand myself on how to get along with people I don't like I guess I should forget about it.Also I hope you and your mate work out just fine hun.Maybe yu'll get married.

Answer 10

The "Right" to be Married

Love & Blessings
Milly