- Joined
- Apr 25, 2010
- Messages
- 80,422
- Reaction score
- 29,075
- Location
- Pittsburgh
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Independent
Back up links:[h=1]Minneapolis Courts Chicago's Same-Sex Couples[/h]
by CHERYL CORLEY
September 07, 2013 2:04 PM
With the skyline of Chicago behind him, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak stands on a rooftop plaza in Boystown, the heart of a predominantly gay community.
He's here on a recruiting mission. Minnesota legalized gay marriage just over a month ago, but Illinois' same-sex measure is stalled in its legislature. So now the mayor of Minneapolis is drumming up business for his city — setting his sight on millions of wedding dollars that could come from Illinois.
Rybak hoists an ad that features wedding flowers and a tagline that reads, "Hey Chicago, I want to marry you in Minneapolis."
Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda, a Chicago-based LGBT organization, advises gays and lesbians who live in states where marriage is not legal to get hitched in a state where it is. That allows them access to federal benefits, due to the recent Supreme Court decision rejecting the Defense of Marriage Act.
"For tax purposes, you can file jointly," he says. "If you want to be able to sponsor someone for immigration, or if you are a veteran, you can access benefits. So there are many rights and responsibilities already they are recognizing at the federal level if you're married in a different state."
Jean Fishbeck and Judy Popovich have been together for 17 years. Since 13 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized same-sex marriage, the Chicago couple say they've considered it.
"We were in San Francisco two weeks ago," Fishbeck says. "We thought about it then. But it seemed more practical to get Illinois to get it so we'd get the same state benefits."
"And to have it recognized in the state in which we live," Popovich adds.
Yet many couples are expected to travel to Minneapolis, just as more than 500 have traveled from Illinois to Iowa to marry since same-sex marriage became legal there in 2009.
What's Behind the Minneapolis Gay Marriage Pitch? - ABC News
Mayor To Gay Couples: 'I Want To Marry You In Minneapolis' : The Two-Way : NPR
awesome, nothing wrong with cashing in while there are still states trying to discriminate. But now with the new IRS rules these couples get some equality once they are back in their homes states and they will be allowed to file as married even if their state is still discriminating.
The writing is on the wall folks, Equality is coming and discrimination is losing.
The fall of DOMA, the IRS ruling, all this anti-discriminate laws, ordinances and amendments to state constitutions are all stepping stones.
The best part like i said before is all those states that wen and banned equal rights are actually going to make it EASIER to get them now once they are challenged. Because its going to be that very banning that is found to be discrimination and a violation of equality. Oh the sweet irony.
a couple court cases in states when they try to discriminate against a couple in the hospital or when one dies out of state or has an accident and all of it is going to get over turned.