Etheridge Stops Paying State Taxes in Prop. 8 Protest

[babylonsister]

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.

Oh and too bad California, I know you were looking forward to the revenue from all of those extra marriages. I guess you will have to find some other way to get out of the budget trouble you are in.

…Really?

When did it become okay to legislate morality? I try to envision someone reading that legislation "eliminates the right" and then clicking yes. What goes through their mind? Was it the frightening commercial where the little girl comes home and says, "Hi mom, we learned about gays in class today" and then the mother gets that awful worried look and the scary music plays? Do they not know anyone who is gay? If they do, can they look them in the face and say "I believe you do not deserve the same rights as me"? Do they think that their children will never encounter a gay person? Do they think they will never have to explain the 20% of us who are gay and living and working side by side with all the citizens of California?

I got news for them, someday your child is going to come home and ask you what a gay person is. Gay people are born everyday. You will never legislate that away.

more...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-11-06/you-can-forget-my-taxes/

[cboy4]

1. The Yes on 8 people stirred up a hornets nest

There is no question about it.

[Le Taz Hot]

4. It's the ONLY bright light

in this otherwise abysmal proposition.

[cboy4]

5. Yup. Maybe even a blessing in disguise .. which is difficult

to grasp considering what just happened .. but it's motivating a lot of new people to get involved with the cause.

[ixion]

2. "When did it become okay to legislate morality?"

It's never been okay, really, but that hasn't stopped a group of folks from doing just that. Bogus legislations of morality have been emanating from our legislative bodies for decades.

The truth is that laws that restrict or punish people related to things like sexuality, psychotropic substances and other moral issues are unconstitutional. They shouldn't even be allowed on the books, IMO.

[No Elephants]

7. when did marriage become immoral? Especially civil marriage?

[Indenturedebtor]

8. When people decided that their hate filled religion is more important than the Constitution

:(

[VWolf]

3. Melissa Etheridge is a true patriot n/t

[TankLV]

6. TAX REVOLT! YES!

Now let's get this up and running...

[kevinbgoode]

9. Absolutely! When the state Constitution is required to reflect

the dictates of a cabal of dominionist, anti-democratic "churches" the victims should be exempt from taxation. Let the churches pick up the burden.