The economic impact of denying marriage to gays and lesbians was demonstrated once again in a report released on March 24 by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the Connecticut group Love Makes a Family. It focused on case studies of couples in Connecticut where the Legislature is debating creating civil unions for same-sex couples.

“Thousands of same-sex couples suffer economic detriment by not being allowed to access the benefits and protections of marriage,” said NGLTF’s Jason Cianciotto. “It amounts to tens of thousands of dollars per year and hundreds of thousands of dollars over their lifetimes.”

He explained how the GLBT couples were selected as case studies and that they represent a cross section of the population. The study did not purport to be an examination of all gay couples.

One of the case studies was that of Stephen Rinaldi, 51, a state employee, and his partner of five years, Andre Kreft, 50, an artist. Their combined income is about $75,000, a bit above the $69,917 median family income for Connecticut. The state has the second highest median income in the nation, where the national average is $52,273.

Cianciotto said the couple loses over $2,500 per year because they are not allowed to file a joint tax return. They will suffer additional losses in terms of payouts for social security retirement and survivor benefits, and estate taxes. Altogether their losses could total $751,000 over their lifetimes, according to the analysis.

“We all know about the moral and religious implications of same-sex marriage, but I never realized the economic impact on us until I actually read the study,” Rinaldi said. “It’s a subtle form of discrimination against us…. We have to continue the fight for same-sex marriage so that we are accorded the same rights.”

“Civil unions do provide most of the benefits that the state can provide,” said Anne Stanback, president of Love Makes a Family. “It is going to be a step forward but it will not provide the clarity that marriage would for same-sex couples.”

Even if the state were to pass a marriage bill, it would not address federal aspects of discrimination under the tax code.

NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman acknowledged that the current Connecticut tax penalty in the Rinaldi example is only $22 more than what they would owe if they could file as a couple. “However, there is a 25-percent difference in federal tax liability because they are unable to file as a couple,” he said.

The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prohibits recognition of same-sex marriage; it is the reason why the IRS and other federal agencies cannot recognize same-sex marriages, such as those performed in Massachusetts.

“Marriage is about far more than equal protection and financial benefits,” Stanback said. “Ending discrimination in marriage is a matter of fairness and equal treatment under the law.” She argued that having same-sex marriage in effect in several states will make a stronger case in seeking to strike down DOMA.

Visit this article online at www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link to the complete economic benefits report.