| Gay Couples And Money |
| Written by Howie Holben | |
| Tuesday, 16 March 2010 | |
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Gay couples are obviously not afforded the same rights as hetero couples, and we've all heard the arguments on both sides of the fence. Anti-gay groups and individuals protest loudly while the GLBT community pays out more into the system per household than their hetero counterparts. The straight community certainly doesn't turn away the money generated by keeping gay couples separated.
Gay couples are obviously not afforded the same rights as hetero couples, and we've all heard the arguments on both sides of the fence. Anti-gay groups and individuals protest loudly while the GLBT community pays out more into the system per household than their hetero counterparts. The straight community certainly doesn't turn away the money generated by keeping gay couples separated. The most obvious cost is taxes. Until the federal government legalizes sex-sex marriage, the taxes that a gay couple pays out will always be higher than those of a heterosexual couple. The exact amount will differ depending on what state that they reside in. Of course, since they can't file as a married couple they can't provide the same tax credits to their families. When it comes to how they file, how they claim children as dependents, and how they can file for their deductions, many gay couples end up paying at least three quarters more per household. Of course, while there are many companies that are stepping up and offering health insurance to employees with same sex partners, the health insurance crisis within the gay community can be significantly higher than that of the straight community. The considered income of the additional partner's health insurance is taxed, whereas heterosexual health insurance coverage is not. A single family's income can be significantly impacted by the ill health of one partner, yet reimbursement and deductions are often not permitted when the healthy partner becomes financially involved. It creates quite a tax mess. Legal fees are also another avenue when gay couples have to find more funds to live within "normal" society. For monetary and parental protection many have to outline their rights in legal documents especially when children are involved. The simple act of being together for some gay couples means that they must pay hundreds to thousands of dollars in legal fees just in case something happens later in life. If a couple wants children they can expect some very high expenses. Men can anticipate adoption fees that can creep into the hundreds of thousands while women can expect to find about seventy five thousand extra dollars in order conceive a child. There are plenty of anti-gay family arguments that have been interjected and debated over this point, but that's beside the point. A family is possible but only for those who can afford the initial step. After a lifetime together of supporting each other and figuring out those tax returns, a domestic partner receives no death benefit from the government and can be denied access to life insurance policies and death benefits held by the deceased's employer. Children who are not biologically related to one parent will find that they can not expect their abilities to make medical decisions for their parent without appropriate paperwork. Likewise, the same can be said for minor children under the care of their non-biological parent. Second parent adoptions help to clear up these issues, but few states permit them. A non-biological parent can still be held accountable for the medical bills. We have all heard all of the arguments that state that if we aren't satisfied then we can change, or something like that. It's quite interesting that while we are typically required to pay twice as much for life's needs and wants, our money is perfectly acceptable. When it comes to enforcing those needs and wants, acceptable is not the word that comes to mind. |
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