I choose to share my story because of the truly astonishing number of well-meaning people, both inside and outside the LGBT community, who have absolutely no clue that same-sex couples incur federal tax penalties even when they live in states that recognize their marriages.

Gay and lesbian Americans are still forced, in many cases, to abide by laws and regulations that require them to hide their true identities and demean their lifestyles. A glaring example would be the filing of an annual tax return under the United States Tax Code.

On Oct. 19 the IRS published an FAQ for same-sex couples in which it reiterated that in the Internal Revenue Code, "marriage" means a marriage between a man and a woman. But if the Supreme Court rules that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional, then the FAQ will be incorrect.