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

[MykeB]

Melissa can afford the attorney's to get her out of hot water. Pay your taxes and demand the Supreme Court hears our case. This is the way almost all minorities have had to win their so called equal rights. Breath folks, they won the battle, but not the war. We will kick their door down. Your joy is not based on this ruling. WWW.KingsfoolVideo.com

[starboymikey]

Pay your taxes and demand the Supreme Court hears our case.
__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__________

And you really think this SCOTUS will support gays? Civil disobedience is powerful as hell, as Ghandi and MLK proved. I think not paying state taxes is a great idea. If even half the gay people in California withheld their state taxes it would bring this issue front and center for the first time ever.

[lizr]

AFTER O names the next three SCOTUS justices, and a few of the cr e eps disappear from the pure ugliness of their hearts.. it's gonna happen. Just a matter of time.

Patience, you all.
I know it's hard!

[blewkolr4obama]

I'm a married ,white, straight guy, and I'm with you Melissa. We had a fierce and ugly gay marriage debate here in MA a while back. Happily for us equality won out. At the time, I remember thinking that gay people and straights like myself should go on strike so the people who would deny gay people their rights could see how fully and importantly gay folks contribute to the common good.

[lizr]

I'm from Hawaii and lived there when we had an ugly and divisive fight that had bad results back in the 90's.

But a lot has changed since then and many many more gays have come out as a result.

It's harder to vote against us when we have made ourselves known and asked our friends to support us..

I think that the GLBT community's energy was seriously diverted by the battle to elect O and hope that O recognizes that to be true!

I actually know he does. and that there are a few more pressing issues rt now., BUT he will get to us and soon.

[katocat]

Yea it sucks... but remember Rome wasn't built in a day.

Equal rights for all WILL happen in the not too distant future.

Take it to the bank.

[DontBeFoolish]

Incredible!

[etcetc]

You go, Melissa! You rock.

[zetacplus]

Rock on Melissa! I love you :) I still cry to your music and it was your music that helped me accept my homosexuality.

Yes I Am. Thank you for the beautiful music.

Hugz and Kissez

[Snow97]

"I mean that would just be wrong, to make someone pay taxes and not give them the same rights..."

Excellent point, to which I just wanted to add a few thoughts:

* The scare tactic that proponents of Prop 8 successfully used ("your children will be taught to be gay in schools") ignores the role that intolerant PARENTS play in perpetuating fear and hate;

* People who are secure in their sexual orientation -- gay AND straight -- and spirituality don't need to peer into the bedrooms and marriages of other people;

* It is un-Christian to use the Bible to propagate intolerance and to anoint oneself the judge of how other people should conduct their moral and temporal lives;

* It is offensive and legally suspect to allow 5O+1 percent of the population to strip away state-cons­titutional protection extended to a persecuted minority; and

* It wasn't too long ago that marriages between people of different races was illegal and derided. Tell me, what do we call the critics of those marriages today?

My straight (and square) spouse and I are horrified that so many Californians could be so wrong at the same time.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

*

"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression."

-- Thomas Jefferson

*

[evgolightly]

I don't know if Jefferson's the right guy to quote here. The sentiment's fine, but he hardly walked the walk.

[stayinsouth1981]

I want this to go to the Supreme Court as discrimination. I want my brother, best friend, cousins, buds.. and choir mates to have to same rights I have. REGARDLESS of my sexual orientation..

[curiousasheck]

You want to be a true rebel, a disenfranchised outcast , don't get married!

There's nothing revolutionary about marriage.

[stayinsouth1981]

I think it's about rights as much as a recognized union or lifetime commitment.

[brokerthanu]

What does being a "rebel" have anything to do with anything? I want a shot at the security and respect, the benefits and longer life-span afforded by state-recognition. Not everyone is "rebelling" in "revolution". And speaking of "disenfranchised outcast", what exactly do you think we are now?

[MykeB]

Stop with this negativity about marriage. We want it and we can choose to have it. That is the point. Not your distain for it.

[VikingLady]

Just think what good could have been done with all those millions of $$ the Momons spent on their campaign of bigotry. It makes one weep...

[Sparty1]

Exactly. Why do so called religious folks always have to worry about what someone does in the privacy of their own bedroom? Now isn't that the pot calling the kettle black when Mormons want to cast dispersions on someone's marriage? This coming from the religion that up until 100 yrs ago believed in plural marriage. Some of them still believe in it, but they want to say that my cousin and his 'husband' of 12 yrs can't be legally married. My cousin and his 'husband' live a wonderful life. They own 2 businesses, 3 homes and travel extensively. Now if he gets hospitalized, his partner can't say what he wants done for him. Is that right? I think not.

[javaJimmy]

I'm done with religion.
I still have my core beliefs, and I have a connection with a higher power.
What I don't have, is the desire to be ruled by a bunch of people who think it's either "God"'s way, or the highway.

As far as I'm concerned, the Mormons are no better than the Taliban, writing their religious beliefs into the state constitution.

From now on the I'm going to refer to the Mormon Church (and the Fundamentalists) as The American Taliban, and rightfully so. Please join me in doing so.

PS: Oh yeah, with my tax dollars I'm not going give (and that includes sales tax, property tax and the registration tax on your vehicles), I'm gonna buy me some new Mellissa Etheridge CD's.

[Tasies]

.A large portion of his nation is ruled by superstiti­on(religio­n) and faux morality. They'd like to define nature on a parallel basis with the bible. As if the Bible defines nature.

That's the biggest question this country has to wrestle with regards to homosexuality. Evolution dictates that heterosexuality might in the future be an aberration.

The Bible thumpers would have nature seize to evolve so it fits nicely with the 'good book's" teachings.

Like it has been stated on many an occasion; homosexuality could be nature's or evolution's response to over population.

Point is, homosexuality is natural, people are born gay, and that's how nature intended it to be.

It's certain people's myopia which doesn't allow them see past their current state. it's a lack of humility and an attempt to control that which is not controllable.

[sklfcats]

YOU GO NORMA RAE !!!!

[janinius]

not to mention writers, editors, lawyers, doctors, veterinarians . . . pretty much 30% of the entertainment industry. sounds like it is time to move hollywood to the east coast!

[newpotusplease]

IF MELISSA DIVORCES/BREAKS UP WITH HER PARTNER NOW

IS IT A DIVORCE OR NOT?

AND DOES SHE GET VISITATION RIGHTS, OR NOT?

OR DOES SHE JUST HAVE TO WORK IT OUT INFORMALLY AS SHE DID IN HER FIRST MARRIAGE OR RELATIONSHIP?

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

Well aren't you just an pessimistic person!

[Carolab]

Go, MELISSA!