The Human Rights Campaign has launched a campaign to get 1 million people to sign a petition in support of gay and lesbian rights – including marriage and civil unions.
Why is this important?
There are more than 1,000 federal protections and responsibilities denied to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families because they cannot legally marry in this country. Here are just a few:• ability to make decisions on a partner's behalf in a medical emergency.
• petition for partner to immigrate.
• up to 12 weeks leave from work to care for a seriously ill partner or parent of a partner.• parenting responsibilities of children brought into a family through birth, adoption, surrogacy or other means.
• ability to purchase continued health coverage for a domestic partner after the loss of a job.
On a more personal level, it is important because of people like Anna and Marion.
Anna and Marion have spent their lives teaching and caring for others. Anna, 71, is a retired nurse who founded a nonprofit that protects seniors from homelessness. Marion, 69, taught public school.They have enjoyed a loving, committed relationship for the past 23 years and live in Massachusetts on a modest fixed income from their pensions and Social Security. They have the same worries as any retired couple facing health problems and financial pressures – but because the government will not grant them a civil marriage license, they do not have the same legal protections.
Anna recently had hip replacement surgery. Because their relationship is not protected under the law, the couple had to pay for legal documents allowing Marion to visit Anna in the hospital, receive information on her medical condition and make medical decisions if Anna were unable to do so. This added to the expense and anxiety of a stressful situation.
While married seniors in Massachusetts can qualify for special help from the government to get at-home care and stay out of nursing homes, Anna and Marion cannot – even though they paid taxes their entire working lives.
Their biggest worry is about losing their house. If Anna goes into a nursing home, the government could force Marion out of their house and sell it to pay the nursing-home bills. The law protects married couples from losing their homes when a spouse enters long-term care – but devoted couples like Anna and Marion have no such protection.
The Family Research Council, Focus on the Family and other right-wing political organizations are playing politics with the lives of people like Anna and Marion. They would go so far as to amend our Constitution to deny loving, committed couples like these any protections under the law.
America has problems, but this loving couple is not one of them. Anna and Marion – and all gay and lesbian couples in long-term, committed relationships – deserve equal protection under the law. Tell your elected representatives not to play politics with the Constitution.
Sign the petition now to show your support for people like Anna and Marion.
