[Bohemian Iconoclast]

The California Supreme Court has spoken.

Those who would never look across the breakfast table at a homosexual want to insist during the November election.

It wasn't so long ago that interracial marriage was illegal.

Some would be all too happy to take us back there as well...

Here is today's Candorville from the funny pages, making a different point...

http://candorville.com/2008/05/26/lance/

[bushdiverq]

It all boils down to taxes. Alot of tax fraud will happen. Say you and your room mate decide it would be better to file taxes as married vs single. You are only doing this to get a tax break. There is nothing stopping it. If they would get rid of the "married" status on tax returns, I am all for it.

[Bohemian Iconoclast]

There's a point that doesn't get mentioned much...kinda like the "Chuck & Larry" movie. Considering how homophobic we are as a society, that isn't a major concern.

[Romeo8Juliet]

I believe that everyone should be entitled to make their own choice.

I don't agree with a court or any other authority making the determination of who can and cannot marry.

Everyone has always had to struggle for rights in this country, which is sad since we preach "freedom".

[fatboy]

i think the gays should be allowed to suffer married life ......

[bushdiverq]

Originally Posted by fatboy

i think the gays should be allowed to suffer married life ......

ROFL

[Aleko]

Originally Posted by bushdiverq

It all boils down to taxes. Alot of tax fraud will happen. Say you and your room mate decide it would be better to file taxes as married vs single. You are only doing this to get a tax break. There is nothing stopping it. If they would get rid of the "married" status on tax returns, I am all for it.

Slightly off topic, but since when does getting married help you save on taxes? Ever since getting married my wife and I pay $8-10K a year more than we did when we were still dating and just living together.

[bushdiverq]

Originally Posted by Aleko

Slightly off topic, but since when does getting married help you save on taxes? Ever since getting married my wife and I pay $8-10K a year more than we did when we were still dating and just living together.

I am not an accountant, but you seriously need to seek out one if you had that much of tax increase. (unless you were filing previous taxes illegally)

Here is an article that might help.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/...03-03-ym_x.htm

[Aleko]

Originally Posted by bushdiverq

I am not an accountant, but you seriously need to seek out one if you had that much of tax increase. (unless you were filing previous taxes illegally)

Here is an article that might help.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/...03-03-ym_x.htm

I already have one, thank you very much. And if you read the article you linked to very carefully you'll find the answer as to why we're paying more now than we did before (and no, we weren't filing illegally).

[thesonofgray]

Originally Posted by Aleko

I already have one, thank you very much. And if you read the article you linked to very carefully you'll find the answer as to why we're paying more now than we did before (and no, we weren't filing illegally).

I'm curious ... could you share the reason? (Lazy and don't wanna read the article carefully.)

Gay guy over here and I agree with option #1. But I sort of have a different view on marriage than most. I've been with my partner for over 5 years now and I honestly couldn't care less if we get married. I have always thought of marriage as a religious institution, and I'm not religious - so I don't care to get married "under God".

BUT, the government decided waaaay back to legally recognizing marriage and providing many benefits to married couples. In that respect, I would want to get married to my partner...to receive those benefits, but my relationship wouldn't be any more or any less whether we were married or not.

I think the government should simply not recognize marriage as a legal institution. It's a religious one, and the various churches and organizations should be able to decide who they "marry". The government should have no bearing on the subject.

It's simple: If the government recognizes marriage, it should be a right afforded to any two consenting adults. If the government doesn't recognize marriage, it should be up to the "marrying" institutions who they want to marry.

IMO, of course.

[thesonofgray]

I just ran across this clip and found it hilarious (and relevant to the current discussion)...

http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.a...e-00cd871b6726

It seems Mr. O'Reilly's "family law" attorney couldn't come up with a good reason to ban gay marriage (hm......maybe cause there isn't one?).

Some interesting notes on this video:

Don Schweitzer, the family law attorney and opponent of gay marriage on O'Reilly's show was suspended (60 days) from the bar a couple of years ago after a felony conviction for assaulting his estranged wife's boyfriend.

Unlike what Mr. Schweitzer said on the show, the California Supreme Court decision to allow gay marriage can not be appealed - in California nor any court in the U.S., including the U.S. Supreme Court. The reason for this is because the Cali SC based its decision on the California constitution, and the SCOTUS defers to the highest court in each state to interpret their own constitution. It doesn't take a bar suspension to figure that one out.

[Aleko]

Originally Posted by thesonofgray

I'm curious ... could you share the reason? (Lazy and don't wanna read the article carefully.)

Without going into too much detail... We both have pretty similar incomes (within $20K-$30K, give or take); when single, one of us (with the higher income) itemized everything on his/her income tax (mortgage interest, property taxes, medical, etc.), while the other one took the standard deduction. Once married, we automatically lost that second standard deduction, and the first itemized deduction got cut in half. For example, if I made $100K and claimed $30K worth of itemized deductions as a single, my deductions reduced my taxable income by 30%. Now filing together with my wife, who let's say makes the same $100K, the same $30K itemized deductions only reduce our taxable income by 15%, thus bumping us in the higher bracket. Another option is to file as married filing separately, but then you still pay higher taxes than singles.

[thesonofgray]

Originally Posted by Aleko

Without going into too much detail... We both have pretty similar incomes (within $20K-$30K, give or take); when single, one of us (with the higher income) itemized everything on his/her income tax (mortgage interest, property taxes, medical, etc.), while the other one took the standard deduction. Once married, we automatically lost that second standard deduction, and the first itemized deduction got cut in half. For example, if I made $100K and claimed $30K worth of itemized deductions as a single, my deductions reduced my taxable income by 30%. Now filing together with my wife, who let's say makes the same $100K, the same $30K itemized deductions only reduce our taxable income by 15%, thus bumping us in the higher bracket. Another option is to file as married filing separately, but then you still pay higher taxes than singles.

Ah, I see.

So, in other words, saving on taxes when you get married is a "it depends" sort of thing. I'll remember that when Texas jumps on the gay marriage bandwagon in, oh, 50 odd years or so.

[r0fl]

Originally Posted by bushdiverq

It all boils down to taxes. Alot of tax fraud will happen. Say you and your room mate decide it would be better to file taxes as married vs single. You are only doing this to get a tax break. There is nothing stopping it. If they would get rid of the "married" status on tax returns, I am all for it.

I know a female and male who do this.
why should only heterosexuals be allowed to perform marriage fraud?

[Aleko]

Originally Posted by thesonofgray

So, in other words, saving on taxes when you get married is a "it depends" sort of thing.

I guess it could be, but in reality, I don't know of anyone who was saving on taxes by getting married; it's always the other way around.