Melissa Ethridge Shouldn't Have To Pay Taxes
Filed under: Politik > Melissa Etheridge
With the passing of that stupid Proposition 8 in California, many celebs are speaking out such as Ellen DeGeneres did.
Well, singer Melissa Etheridge is speaking out as well.
Ethridge planned to legally marry her partner Tammy Lynn back in early October. But with the new proposition, the right for gays to marry is gone.
And Ethridge isn't too pleased about that. In fact, she thinks she shouldn't have to pay taxes. What for? She's not being treated like a regular citizen, why pay like one?
Ethridge took the time to write a response to the proposition, and here is some of what she has to say:
"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!
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.
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."
CLICK HERE to read the rest of her great thoughts.
[Image via WENN.]
yes!
Good!! Don't pay them!!! We'll see you in a cell with wesley snipes!!!!
Dumb Bithch!!
cool. making history in MY life being first.
Re: Niq the Skank! – *Bitch
Move to Canada!
Look celebrities trying to get out of Obama's tax hikes already with stupid comments like these. Melissa if you and your other friends have a problem with paying taxes MOVE.
oh lovely…now you are gonna use that as an excuse to not pay taxes. these fucking gays……bitch moan bitch moan………..
Move to Canada! It's better here.
great tits on tammy shame shes a lez
Not being able to marry doesn't mean the people of California think you are subhuman. It just means they don't want to redefine marriage. If it had been banned by 51% none of you would be complaining at all. It passed, it sucks for you, now move on. The issue will be raised again in the future, believe me. But in the mean time, go get married in Massachusetts.
Re: CHANCE – you do know what being first entails? i huge pile on of LOVE!!!
bring your own lube!!
SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT….
I agree with her. If we don't get the same rights as everyone else, then why should we have to pay the same as everyone else? Third cunts?
Sore losers!
MAKES SENSE! BUT IT WAS STILL GAY!
Re: banana anna – That's HOT!
Well, she brings up a good point.
Re: CHANCE – WANNA MAKEOUT! CAUSE YOUR FIRST!
Amen honey I'm with you
perezzies worker bees are updating….nothing works. what a joke.
Re: CHANCE – You need to get out more.
not very smart…IRS can be a bitch
Re: harrybalsac – want me?
whooah!
Sorry, state taxes don't just benefit the married… so unless she's not gonna drive on any roads, have water in her house, visit the beach, use the airport, etc… she ought to keep her mouth shut.
Re: harrybalsac – HAPPY FUCKING FRIDAY!
That's actually a very good point.
I don't think she'd actually not pay her taxes though; that would be pretty stupid.
I guess she's just saying this to prove her claim, which she does pretty well.
"Poor is the man who's pleasure depends on the permission of another." It will never make sense as to why we as people of the world should ever be considered different and not allowed to be equal on all levels. It is definitly a shame but the fight is not over. I believe one day we will all have equality but it doesn't come overnight in this country. It has been a long fight as it is but if we look back at how long it took women and blacks to become equal, there was tremendous opposition and loses suffered. Today however, we have finally seen the errors of our past and made that "change". We can not give up the fight…..reach for the light!
Not a single chance! No one can run away from taxes!
Now that Obama is president - I diden't think any celebrities were going to have to pay tax's. I thought that was part of the deal.
i have celebrities (gay or not) are about to come up with TONS of excuses to avoid paying for their new higher taxes!
be careful what ya'll wish for
have a feeling***
Civil Unions give you all the same rights. Prove me wrong. Quit your crying, it's a word. Its a word just like Gay, fag, queer, queen, fairy, and any others that the gay community adopted. Make up something else.
You wacko liberal fucks wanted him. No you got him. Funny how this carpet munching bitch, athletes and actors all stumped for the great savior and now are scrambling to find loopholes and ways to avoid paying the piper. Your hypocrisy knows no bounds.
the people have spoken.. get over it. it was OBVIOUSLY GOD WILL.
It is sickening beyond all comprehension that Prop 8 passed. I find it unbelievably small-minded, pathetic and sad that the majority of those against it were latino and black. To blame this one strong religious convictions is a scapegoat. Whoever voted in favor of this immoral and extraordinarily prejudice legislation is a coldhearted bigot. How dare anyone do this to anyone?? But, for those who have experienced similar prejudice, it boggles the mind. I know all the social / historical / religious bs reasons, and I don't care - people need to realize at the end of the day that their vote in support of this crap is about hate and persecution. As a native CA'n living out of state, I am ashamed and repulsed, and if there's a fund to get the S.Court to overturn this bs, I'll be donating. Sorry, Melissa, Tammy and all the other phenomenal people affected so unfairly by this crap. It is just so wrong, and some day, it'll be viewed just as our heinous segration of whites and blacks … pfft, if a black man can now be president (note: most people polled indicated race was NOT a factor - RIGHT ON!); how in the WORLD is it okay that some people, some decent, productive, law-abiding, hurting no one citizens are still thrown under the bus?! Truly disgusting…
The best part about all of this is that she has all the liberal free thinking comrades to blame this on. The conservative vote in California was only 37% compared to the liberal 61%. So I guess not everyone was ready to make "change" and history. Just for a BI-RACIAL president elect and not Homosexuals.
Re: banana anna – that's kinda gross!
Come to Massachusetts!
Can you imagine having to go down on Melissa Etheridge until death do you part? If I were her wife, I'd be hoping that California proposes to abolish boxed lunches at the Y.
SHE IS SOOO RIGHT I AGREE THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY SHIT AND I HOPE THEY ALL STOP
Ok so first of all people aren't born gay, when will people realize that..? And second, to people who DECIDED to become gay, you knew that you were making an unessacary life choice, to be different, to fuck the same sex as you, and all because of what>> NO reason I could ever think of.
I could think of so many reasons as to why I shouldn't pay taxes (which I dont because I am a stay at home wife) But when I was working my ass off I could have thought of a million reasons!! Like, I'm married to a foreigner, i shouldnt have to pay taxes, I'm polish, german, english, and italian, I shouldnt have to pay taxes…and so on and so on….
Gays are ridiculous…..It makes me laugh!!
Black people hate gays
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…..You're not a second class citizen, you can marry any guy you want to and you will be legally married. The people have spoken
don't pay em, but people get married today man/women and it is for fun a joke like 'lets get married cos it's fun and we can get divorced tommorrow' well i think it's just a piece of paper…..blah.. and what you 2 have is so much more you love each other for better or worse you dont need the 'law' to tell you that you have each other your children and thats what counts! listen huni in this life we are not promised anything…but you guys have today and each other which is beautiful dont give up the hope for the future but like i said you have today..don't worry be happy xxxx
THE FEDERAL RESERVE IS FULL OF SHIT AND IS NOT FEDERAL WHO OWNS IT?…THE QUEEN… EVERYONE NEEDS TO STOP PAYING TAXES…WATCH zeitgeist addendum
I actually agree with what Melissa said. At the end of the day, we will all be judged. Instead of worrying about everyone else's lifestyle, worry for your soul.
Listen, we all have different opinions. There are MANY people who don't believe in gay marriage. I respect gays completely, and I have gay friends. I still love them and admire their courage to come out. They are still people, and we are all equal. The thing is, you can love someone, no matter what gender, race, religion, etc. But marriage (even though the divorce rate is high) should be traditional, between a man and a woman. You may call it a partnership, civil union, whatever, but you cannot call it a marriage. Fine, if gays want to marry, go ahead, it's God who decides how you lived your life in the end, so it's your decision to do those things. If you don't believe in God, that's your decision as well. Because the state isn't giving you rights to marry because they believe it is unconstitutional, not right, whatever, it doesn't make you a second class citizen. Her argument is absolutely stupid and I'm sure a 10-year old could've thought of that.
" I guess you will have to find some other way to get out of the budget trouble you are in" Oh no, Melissa. You've got that ALL wrong. All we have to do to get out of our "budget trouble" is get the lifers off welfare and quit giving "services" to the illegals. We'd have more money than we know what to do with.
I'm straight and *I* don't believe in paying taxes either!
Personally I think that the fact that we use religious ceremonies as a method to gain governmental benefits is wrong. What should happen, in my opinion, is that all people no matter who should have to get a civil union, before a judge or mayor NOT a religious figure, to gain the tax and other benefits of what is now a marriage. After that you do what you want to satisfy your own faith, if that is white wedding with a minister great, if its just a good friend and ceremony in your back yard commiting to one another as fine. The bottom line, take the religion out of it. I understand people wanting religions they grew up with to recognize them but for me as a gay person what concerns me more is whether my partner can sit at my hospital bed, or has right of inhertiance to a house we spent our lives to together in, and not have to be scared if death is sudden and we hadn't thought to rewrite a will to make sure they are treated as a husband or b/f would be. That is what most of the gay people I know want, the word marriage is there because thats the label for these benefits.
Melissa writes: "I got news for them, someday your child is going is to come home and ask you what a gay person is."
I say: Someday your child is going to come home and tell you THEY ARE a gay person. Then what?!?
When my son was in 5th grade (22 now) this prissy mom came up to me in the school parking lot and told me she thought my son was gay. I told her I would talk to him. Went home that night and gathered both my boys (5th and 1st grade). Told them some boys like girls…some boys like boys…some girls like boys…some girls like girls. That's the way God made us. Whomever they liked I LOVED them.
Prissy mom asked me a short time later if I had talked to my son. I told her I had and exactly what I had said. She went to our church and lodged a complaint against me!
Last month after telling the story to someone in a similar position I asked my son about prissy mom's son. He told me he left home several years ago. He is gay….evidently mom is still prissy. SAD!!!
Re: Miss_Mila – Are you gay? No, so how the fuck would you know?
I can't believe how many people dislike the gay community. Then what the hell are you doing on a blog written by a gay man? Geez…
Oh! And for the people commenting on Melissa's blog, please, get off the "religion" wagon.
Hell yes! Go Melissa! prop 8 is BS and she is right on!
I agree with here and I am straight. I am probably one of the least prejudice people alive and it kills me that people are so close-minded. I wish that judgements made were judgements returned. But the people being judged are better than that. My best friend is gay and was married in Cali. Now what…he has had the best 2 months of his life just to have it taken away. He might as well have been executed because you took his life away. We took a large step forward only to take a leap back. FUCKING MORMONS NEED TO GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If it wasn't for you this would have never been an issue.
This is an outrage. Government is set up as a separation of church and state! No one is trying to change the religious views of marriage! This is about "civil marriage" - marriage under the law. Based on current laws, married individuals are offered tax breaks, the ability to put each other on their insurance, visitation/decision rights when someone is ill, etc. They are not asking for America to change the definition of marriage religiously, they are asking them for equal rights under the law. Call it a civil union if you prefer! It isn't fair. I am not gay, but 100% believe that there should be equality under the law. If you want to march and refuse to let them marry in a church- fine. But don't forbid them the law's benefits.
*her
LOL Morality she has none. Get over at get whining, sounds like my 3 year old.
I'm a straight woman and gays do have the same right as me. I"m not allowed to marry someone of the same sex either.
As a straight but caring, compassionate American, I think that was beautifully put!!
i have not once ever heard of a legal reason the gay/lesbian community should not be married. the only basis is on religious views.
where are the people that commissioned to take prayer out of school, to remove the 10 commandments from courthouses, where are they now?
i am saddened by the state of california for allowing this to pass. America was founded on the basis that we DID NOT WANT to be under british rule, our ancestors left so many other countries, because they wanted the right to BELIEVE what they wanted.
no law, bill, any legislator should be passed based on RELIGIOUS views.
must seperate church & state!!!!
amen
That is so powerful!!
Those who voted Yes should be ashamed of themselves!
Oh- and Ms Mila?? Peopple don't choose to be gay! That's like insisting someone chooses to be tall or black/white. Do you know how many people in history have been killed and prosecuted for their sexual preferences? Do you know how many people have been rejected from their families and thrown out on the streets? Do you know how many people hate themselves because they aren't considered "normal/moral?" I'm sure that in this day and age, there have been a few celebrities who choose to be "gay" for attention (Lindsay Lohan) but overall, people are BORN GAY. They wouldn't CHOOSE the harde
First, I support gay marriage, so don't jump on me, but she IS treated like the rest of the citizenry - she can marry a man if she wants in California. The only way she could claim she was treated differently is if once she came out, she couldn't get married at all. The fact that she has no interest in being with the gender she's legally allowed to marry is a personal, rather than legal issue. I don't agree with Prop 8, but I also don't agree with her logic, or lack thereof.
…hardest path if they believed that had a choice.
Re: Miss_Mila – I can't believe that you think being gay is a choice, maybe for a minority of gay people it is (probably resulting in severe trauma from expriences with the opposite sex), but for myself and many others it was never a choice. NO ONE CHOOSES TO BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, HATED WITHOUT QUESTION FOR THE FACT THAT YOU LIKE THOSE OF THE SAME GENDER, HIDE WHO YOU ARE AND BE AT TIME AFRAID FOR YOUR LIFE, HAVE PEOPLE SPOUT NONSENSE LIKE YOU SHOULD BE SHOT BECAUSE OF ONE LITTLE FACT ABOUT YOU. Choices are I want chocolate milk over vanilla thats a choice. To look at men (if you are a women) and feel only friendship but look at a girl and feel love, is not.
On some level, you have to imagine whether or not you believe fundamentally that a gay person is capable of love… If you geniunely believe that a gay person is capable of truly loving another person, why do you believe that that love is somehow unholy?
Regardless, I'm not here to yell about morality or religion, etc. In this case, the debate around morality will continue regarding gay/lesbian rights. All I'm stating, and all those who are against Prop 8 are stating, is that we would rather live in a country that accepts and cherishes our differences; whether they are race, religion, culture, or sexuality- versus a country that prides itself on being a melting pot but denies 20% of the population equal rights under the law.
Let's stand back and watch California's economy go down the toilet. Well, what's left of it.
Oh & since you probably make over $250,000 a year your taxes are going up so thats more that she won't pay to all those poor middle class citizens
Okay, then those who voted for McCain get to have a pity party and refuse to pay taxes too then!! Is that the new rule? I don't like the laws so I don't have to follow them? Or I don't like certain laws, feel put upon, and so I get to pick and choose what laws I abide by?
Idiot!
When gays getting married was originally made legal, why didn't all the straight & married people jump up and refuse to pay THEIR taxes? Hey, if we follow this bonehead Etheridge's train of logic, then any time someone feels slighted by the government or finds themself on the losing end of a vote, HURRAY get to pick their own laws!
Like a typical liberal gay moron, Melissa Etheridge fails to realize that homos are not first, second, or any special "class". Again, all McCain voters are now second-class citizens as well who should be tax-exempt with the gays.
first let me say that i support gay marriage. however, miss etheridge is off here. her taxes pay for things like schools, roads, emergency services, etc. does she really want to forgo those services? i mean, should senior citizens not pay taxes because they don't go to public school? we pay taxes to ensure we have an educated, productive society, not so that we get ours. i am sad that prop 8 passed, it's amazing that people voted that way, but the fact is that in a true democracy, majority rules. i support continued efforts by the entire nation to ensure that all people are treated equally, but a knee jerk response like the one above doesn't help the effort-i don't think it hurts, but it doesn't help.
Re: GA_Dawgette – I think so, too, Ga!
Re: K8yKat – No in this i completely disagree. People are not, I repeat, not born gay!!!!!!!!!!!!
This discussion is so tired and worn. A tiny group of people, fighting for the right to use a single word (marriage), because they feel like second-class citizens even though they enjoy legal protection under the law.
"Marriage" is an institution of faith, not secular government. Remove from secular gov't the authority to use the word "marriage" to define the union of two people. According to government, people will form families based on a legal "union". Heterosexuals, homosexuals, athieists and agnostics can then share in all of the legal rights and protections of "married" couples without feeling like second-class citizens. Of the 4 types of families, none would be legally superior.
Return the authority to consecrate "marriages" exclusively to institutions of faith. But, we need to call "Gay Marriage" "Civil Unions" — that way, we would all be equal, which is what homosexuals are (supposedly) fighting for. My personal feeling is that homosexuals have moved beyond asking for tolerance and legal equality, to demanding inclusion into faith-based institutions as well as demanding that the public embrace and celebrate their choices.
Melissa DOES have the same rights as me. She has to the right to marry a man, just like I do.
Can't wait to read her press release FROM JAIL. God, that was an illogical statement.
Re: megankautz –
there is a separation of church and state when making and enacting laws. however, there is no such thing when you're talking about how people vote. if someone believes (no matter how misguided) that homosexuality is immoral, they are allowed to vote however they choose. you cannot dictate people's moral codes or their votes.
I think Melissa is right…why pay taxes in a country that acts as if they do not want you. On Tuesday I was so proud that my country seemed to look past the color of someones skin and look at their character that I cried as I explained to my three children that this was a huge step for this country.
But the next day as I read the news that Prop 8 was passed it reminded me a little we have come. The narrow minded people that voted for this should be ashamed of themselves.
…I said this weeks ago and I still agree.
WTF???? Does anyone really give a rats ass what she says anyway????? She is a has been………….celebrities think their opinion matters more than anyone else's but most (intelligent) people don't care what they think or say!!!
Just move out of the state!!1 If you do not pay taxes you will go to jail get real!!!
Re: La Diva – Are you dumb? Do you understand the question?
Re: sarapilar – Marriage is an institution of faith?? So, athiests and agnostics shouldn't be allowed to get married?
Re: sarapilar – I guess that 50 years ago the African American population should have not complained about their rights either…I mean so what if they couldn't drink from the same water fountain…they had one right? This should not have be a problem people need to learn that.
Funny how the negros voted against gay rights after all THEY have been through, Im sure they know what it feels like to be discriminated against yet they love to discriminate other people, gays, latinos, asians, whoever, the negros discriminate against everybody except the great white man, they know they can't go against the white man. Either way, this dumb law will be overturned so don't worry Melissa!!!
After reading this I went from "sure, I'm for gays getting married" To "hell yeah!! Why not if I can they should to!" I'm so sick of hate…… M.E. thanks for giving me more passion on this issue.
Re: ****MRS.JOSH*HOLLOWAY @>—–^—– –
I hope they all stop too. Wesley Snipes needs a cellmate.
Re: Frag The Paps – #33 I'd love to prove you wrong. Listen up:
If you get married in california, and then move to florida, or idaho, or texas, or anywhere else - your marriage is still valid. If a gay couple gets married in Mass (where it's legal) or one of the 3 states where civil unions are legal (Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut)… notice i didn't say california, California does NOT have civil unions - they have "domestic partnerships" — anyway, if you enter into a civil union or domestic partnership, your relationship will NOT be recognized if you leave the state.
If you fall in love with a foreigner, you can marry them, through the immigration process they will become an american citizen, not so for homosexuals. The right does not extent to same sex couples.
Taxes: civil unions and domestic partnerships are not recognized by the federal government, and therefor cannot file joint tax returns and benefit from tax breaks granted to married couples.
$$: a marriage license cost about $100 and grants you all of your rights automatically… from survivor benefits, sick leave, tax breaks, family insurance, medical decision making rights — civil unions have SOME of those rights.. the others, they have to pay a lawyer thousands of dollars for.
now, there are more, but i think you get the point. So, yeah, i've proved you wrong - easily.
Re: La Diva – Yes they are, how do you know? are YOU gay???????????????????? when did you chose to be attracted to someone of your same sex???? I want to know.
sorry heffer. just cuz ur dykin it dont mean u cant pay taxes. look it up in the dictionary…
Marriage is a social, religious, spiritual, or legal union of individuals, exclusive to one man and one woman in most parts of the world.
ONE MAN. ONE WOMAN.
but i guess she could pass as a man.. so i see her struggle.
Re: La Diva – Are you gay? How do you know? For your information, studies have shown that it is believed people are born gay. Something to do with the testosterone bath during pregnancy. I don't know all the technical stuff since it's been a while since I read about it. How about you just agree to disagree if you refuse to try to see things another's way.
I'm so glad Canada doesn't have to put up with all this bullshit. If, after all is said and done, same-sex marriage isn't recognized in California, come on up here, we don't care who you are and who you love.
Right on Melissa! Could not have been said better. I was so glad to see Obama elected and then so sad to see Prop H8TE pass. I would love to walk my daughter down the aisle someday with her partner, but I guess we still feel the need to hate someone and Gays are the target of this Generation. So sad!
It would be nice if we all gays won't have to pay taxes, but unfortunatelly we would go to jail… I hope she can have it her way, stop the hate mo fo's!!
Re: STFUP – STFUP!
Re: dansergrrl – Well thought out points. But, I'm sure Fraggie won't get it at all.
Re: BlancheD – by that same logic, anyone who was married by a judge and not a preacher man should have their marriage voided as it was not an act of faith, but rather a legal transaction. right?
Cause you cant get married to another chick that makes u a second rate citizen?? WAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I am sure u live like a second rate citizen. Give me a fucken break!
some of you are just idiots huh?
i think she makes a good point and i think is patheric that people that were once discriminated against are now doing the same thing to others.