Melissa Etheridge On Prop 8: You Can Forget My Taxes, California

The Daily Beast:

Singer Melissa Etheridge rails against the passage of the gay-marriage ban in California--and she won't be paying the state a dime.

Okay. So Prop 8 passed. Alright, I get it. 51% of you think that I am a second class citizen. Alright then. So my wife, uh I mean, roommate? Girlfriend? Special lady friend? You are gonna have to help me here because I am not sure what to call her now. Anyways, she and I are not allowed the same right under the state constitution as any other citizen. Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen. I mean that would just be wrong, to make someone pay taxes and not give them the same rights, sounds sort of like that taxation without representation thing from the history books.

Okay, cool I don't mean to get too personal here but there is a lot I can do with the extra half a million dollars that I will be keeping instead of handing it over to the state of California. Oh, and I am sure Ellen will be a little excited to keep her bazillion bucks that she pays in taxes too. Wow, come to think of it, there are quite a few of us fortunate gay folks that will be having some extra cash this year. What recession? We're gay! I am sure there will be a little box on the tax forms now single, married, divorced, gay, check here if you are gay, yeah, that's not so bad. Of course all of the waiters and hairdressers and UPS workers and gym teachers and such, they won't have to pay their taxes either.

Read the whole story: The Daily Beast

Comments

[HappyEqualiser]

We'll keep fighting and fighting!

But fear not: EQUALITY FOR ALL is COMING SOON:

http://www.comingsoon.cz

[JohnBisceglia]

Who want to join us? NO TAXATION WITHOUT EQUALITY!

It is now the 21st Century - If our nation wants to be relevant in the world economy, our nation better start giving a damn about treating its citizens equally. How many Fortune 500 companies or major universities will want to be in a state where potential employess and students are treated as SUB-Americans? Will other tax payers care that a GROWING NUMBER of gays are refusing to file tax returns? Are they ready to shoulder the extra tax burden due to an out-of-control theocratic stranglehold on US law? This fact is oblivious to most in the MSM, but do you realize how much tax money goes to victims of DIVORCE WITHOUT LEGAL PROTECTION? Yes - our beloved Gay Divorce Welfare Program needs your dollars; my own divorce cost WA state tax-payers over $40,000.

I would have been willing to settle for a simple divorce and pay for it myself.

[lizr]

Melissa, right on point as usual.

WOrks for me, income tax strike in CA! If I still lived there I'd be all over organizing for this one!

[Thundrdrum]

Trouble with the gay community is there isn't one place to go for information on Prop. 8....there are about 40 of them. Each one has a different agenda, all towards the same goal, just slightly different. So instead of one large meeting of the 'minds,' it's scattered all about and the message is badly watered down. Prop. 8 was lost to this and to apathy within the gay community itself.

[lizr]

excelent pts, organization was lacking-
PROBABLY bec we were all out trying to get O elected!!!!

[rmetz74]

I was just talking to someone today about how this issue needs a leader.

Women and African Americans had and have amazing civil rights leaders for decades on the civil rights front - gays and lesbians need them too. Not actors or musicians - they need activists. Organizers. Lobbyists.

[HHarvey]

I heard that on the radio the other day. The gay people need a civil rights leader to get this organized and I guarantee you if they can fundraise the way the Obama campaign did they will be pleasantly suprised at the outcome.

[jacqmac]

Since the STATE of California is almost BROKE--I say 'GO FOR IT!' Don't pay a SINGLE DIME of STATE TAX, NOT EVEN THE SALES TAX if you have one! Annnd--for good measure---EVERY GAY CITIZEN of CALIFORNIA should consider a 'NO WORK DAY'. Yep!! DON'T GO TO WORK for a DAY. Call in SICK! Shut your business down, if you have one. Get out into those communities where Prop.8 was called 'God's work' and go Door-to-Door. I'm hearing that there was WAY TOO MUCH complacency over this issue. The DNC is not to blame. Obama supporters are not to blame either.
HIT "EM WHERE IT HURTS FIRST!! And this IS AN ECONOMIC ISSUE!!!

[stayinsouth1981]

"They" Do not think you are a second class citizen, THEY do not think you are a citizen. It's called denial of rights.

[rightsize2005]

I AM BLACK, HETEROSEXUAL (NOT SURE "STRAIGHT" IS THE BEST WORD TO USE, SOUNDS PREJUDICE), A WOMANIZER AND NOT HAPPY WITH PRO8...IT IS WRONG.

I SEE NO REASON WHY GAY PEOPLE CANNOT GET MARRIED, THIS IS RIDICULOUS, QUITE FRANKLY IT COULD BE JEALOUSY; JEALOUSY BECAUSE GAY MARRIAGES OR RELATIONSHIPS LAST LONGER THAN HETEROSEXUAL ONES. BUT ANYWAY, IT IS JUST WRONG TO DENY HUMAN BEINGS THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN A LEGAL WAY THAT GUARANTEES YOUR RIGHT OF RECOGNITION.

AND TO ALL THOSE MINORITIES THAT SUPPORTED PROP8, BEWARE IT MIGHT JUST COME BACK TO BITE YOU.

ITS LIKE JOE BIDEN SAID ABOUT ABORTIONS "I DON'T BELIEVE IN THEM, BUT I HAVE NO MORAL AUTHORITY TO TELL PEOPLE THAT THEY CANNOT HAVE ONE"

IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO GET MARRIED IF YOU WANT, KEEP UP THE FIGHT!

[deliriousgod]

"There must be Justice for every member of the community or their will be Justice for no member of the community." sound familiar? Eroding civil rights is how the N@zis started. The first minority they can successfully entice the population into discriminating against is the the thread on the hem that starts coming loose and then one day the whole thing is falling apart.

[lizr]

And HOW TRUE IS THIS!!!!

it will come back to bite everyone who voted for it.

A denial of rts to one is a denial to all.

[MissingAmerica]

I am a straight person who sees so much injustice in this vote. I fail to understand why California voters voted for it and later against it. It only shows that too many actually don't think for themselves. I have to agree with Melissa. If the gays cannot be allowed equal rights under our Constitution, as the Constituion guarantees, then why should the government be guaranteed equal rights in taxaction. In effect, they should receive a discount in their taxes, as they are receive fewer rights than the others. I hope that these homophobic states will soon realize that we are all equal, no matter our gender or race. .

[numbnuts]

I am not gay, and have been married for 30 years.
With that said I am very sorry that people have to tell you how to live your life.
I guess they think they are smarter or something.
We are all created equal, and Jesus would have accepted you for who you are.
Maybe some day we will all be above this.

[TurtleGuy]

Move to Massachusetts. We won't fall into the ocean during an earthquake and we allow gay marriage.

California may be in trouble, I doubt most voters really understood what they were voting for. There are far too many homosexuals in the high tech and entertainment industries. Who's tax revenue drives most of the state's budget, I'm sure.

Here we allow gay marriage, we have a strong high tech industry, strong biotech industry, and the entertainment industry is growing every day. There is a good possiblity of a film studio in Plymouth, MA. There's plenty of available housing for everyone here. We tolerate everyone and whatever they are or believe in.

A lot of homosexuals moved out of this state a few years back, to be in a more "tolerant" environment in northern Cali. Funny the difference a few years makes.

[brooklyncitizen]

I'm always amazed at how tolerant New England is, especially Massachusetts and Vermont. It's great.

[stayinsouth1981]

It's the cheese and apples.

[walk0nwalls]

Sold. I'll be heading up there hopefully in a few years

[lizr]

too bad it's so COLD here in the NE. can you get the Goddess to do something about the weather?

[amcg50]

How can a nation or a state put civil rights up for a vote... They are rights! How dare these people attempt to take them away...

[robinhood1]

Over 25 states have passed their own version of Prop. 8 at the ballot box. It took Arizona two tries. That's the American way, I'm afraid,

[RationalDubSteppa]

On another note I hope all of us straight folk they subscribe to reason and not bronze-age myths can find the courage to rally around our gay brothers and sisters and help them achieve the equality they deserve; just like the many whites that marched with blacks during the civil rights movement.

Gay Marriage is a Civil Right!!!

[lizr]

thank you :)

[RationalDubSteppa]

This is so incredibly sad that groups of people are willing to trounce on the constitutional liberties of other Americans because a book of desert fairy tales says frowns on two consenting adults poking each other in the naughty place. When will religious people grow up and stop intruding on other peoples sex lives. Enough is enough!!! These people are actively discriminating against fellow citizens making them no different than the Kl@n members of 50's and 60's. This is why I have a deep distain for religion because while in some very small instances it is capable of doing good it ultimately leads to the strife and conflict. I really feel bad for all of my gay brothers and sisters. Proposition 8 was a slap to the face to our fellow citizens and honestly it eclipses the progress exhibited by the election of Barack Obama.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

If this was anywhere in Europe, nobody would even care about it. But Americans have become the most constipated, hypcritical, group of wingnuts I have ever seen. They have allowed fundi religious groups to dicate how marriage is defined. Excuse me, but just becuase the bible says one thing, it does not mean, that is the ONLY way to see it. If we let the Bible dicate everything we said or did, nothing would be allowed. Are we going to let the Bible rule our civil rights? I don't recall anywhere in the constitution that people can only marry one way. We have a separation of church and state for a reason, and thi sis a perfect example. The state has allowed religion to infilrate how people do things. That is bias. Its persecution, abuse. Melissa has a right to be angy and should fight this in court. Not paying taxes won't solve the problem unless mass groups did the same. Power in numbers. You can issue a mandate if you get enough signatures. Then the state has to hear it in court, and allow both sides to be represented. Unless it can be proven its harmful to the public, children, they cannot allow such discrimination. Its illegal. Don't let them bully you, fight this one Melissa. I am right there with ya on this. As a straight female, I am outraged this is even allowed.

[lizr]

the Mormons gave MILLIONS for Prop 8 and they should LOSE their tax exempt status for this-
at the very least.

Get your religion out of my Bedroom!

[cruisepuppy7452a]

When my niece chose to come out, I never once said to her, kid, get help, you are sick or twisted, perverted and disgusting. Instead, I asked her if she was happy. I refuse to be judgemental regarding how she lives her life. Folks, the gay lifestyle might not be our cup of tea, but we should at the very least show respect for those who are, that choose to marry. Who are we to say what is right for another person? Nobody declared us judge and jury other how others live. That isn't up to us. It shouldn't be a legal or political matter. Organized religion is behind this, and its wrong. They dont have the right to dicate what others do or don't do. The hypocrissy of all of this is damn nauseating. Where does it end? These are people, not animals. They are genetically marked for the gay lifestyle. Its not contagious, dangerous. Nobody should care. Why this even became an issue is beyond me. We have a war that is illegal still going on, and nobody blinks. Gays choose to marry and suddenly its illegal. Why? Who is it harming? Can anyone answer this? Its insane.