Civil Rights for ALL!

I do not really have much more to add to this topic because I think what Keith Olbermann said (highlighted in my previous blog) was very well said. And I also know that my blog is about being Out N About in NYC, and my political views really are not about being out and about. So.... I went OUT to the Proposition 8 rally to peacefully demonstrate in front of the Mormon Temple in NYC. It was such an amazing experience to be part of the large group--all there to support what we believe in: EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL. It was estimated that over 10,000 people showed up, gay and straight all united!





I do want to shed some light on why the Mormon church was chosen as the rally site. It is not about what they believe in, but rather what laws they may have broken in asking their congregations to deny the LGBTQ community the right to marry --rights that they already have.

This is taken from a letter sent out to all members of the Mormon church in California:

"We ask that you do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman. Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage."
_____

Right now government in many states do not honor gay unions. But in some states such as Georgia, domestic partners are taxed! HOW CAN YOU TAX SOMETHING YOU DON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE? When I lived in Georgia, I added my partner to my benefits at work, and suddenly an additional percentage was taken out of my check as "domestic partner tax", yet a domestic partner agreement in Georgia was not recognized. He was not my domestic partner -- the law wouldn't let us!

Section 501(c)(3), US Code Title 26 governing tax-exempt organizations reads:


(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, ORGANIZED AND OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR RELIGIOUS, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, NO SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE ACTIVITIES OF WHICH IS CARRYING ON PROPAGANDA, OR OTHERWISE ATTEMPTING, TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATION (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (INCLUDING THE PUBLISHING OR DISTRIBUTING OF STATEMENTS),any political campaign on behalf of (or IN OPPOSITION TO) any candidate for public office.

In essence, the Mormon church published a letter asking their members to donate time and money (resulting in millions of dollars and man hours) to make sure they could influence legislation in California. This is in violation of the rules governing the Non-profit status of an organization. If this is what the church is choosing to do with their money (lobby or politically campaign), then they need to be taxed and lose their non-profit tax exempt status.


I ask the Mormons and all of you who supported Proposition 8 why?
We are not asking you to marry us. We are not even asking to get married in your churches (we have our own). We just want what you have, want to show the world what it's like to love someone unconditionally. We want to be there in the hospital rooms when our partners are sick. We want our partners to be able to carry out our funeral wishes, and maybe we even want to take half of everything we get divorced.


So tell me, what kind of god tells his people to suppress others if they show unconditional love to one another? What kind of god tells his people that if their children are gay, to treat them as subhuman?

NO God does. So who told the Mormon Church to hate us?



Derechos civilis para todos - NO solo para algunos!

Civil Rights for all, not just for a few!