Posted on 05/05/2005 12:30:32 PM PDT by Mark
Same-sex couples still losing out
By Jasmyne Cannick Guest Columnist
"In other words, if you're a two-working family, like a lot of families are here in America, and two people working in your family, and the spouse dies early -- before 62, for example -- all of the money that the spouse has put into the system is held there, and then when the other spouse retires, he or she gets to choose the benefits from his or her own work or the other spouse's benefits, whichever is higher, but not both. See what I'm saying? Somebody who's worked all their life, the money they put into the system just goes away. It seems unfair to me."
--President George W. Bush, April 28, 2005
I agree with the president. It seems unfair to me also that a family that has worked hard to provide for their loved ones could lose their money upon the death of a spouse. However, what Bush neglected to mention was that his example was, of course, a heterosexual family, and that millions of gay and lesbian couples are faced with this dilemma everyday.
As a black lesbian, I feel even more conflicted, because Social Security also affects the stability of millions of African-Americans who are more likely to depend on the system after retiring. In Bush's recent press conference, he proposed a system where low-income workers' benefits would grow faster than for those who are more wealthy. Seems fair enough to me. After all, families who enjoy the benefit of being wealthy are less likely to ever have to depend on Social Security in the first place.
However, where does that leave me and millions like me? People who work hard our entire lives to provide for our families while paying money into a system that isn't guaranteed to us in our time of need, but is being used to protect other people's families -- including those families that do not support equal rights for gays and lesbians.
According to the 2000 U.S. census, blacks make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, and black same-sex couples account for 14 percent of the self-identified same-sex households in the U.S. In addition, black same-sex couples report lower annual median household incomes than black married couples and white same-sex couples. Black gay and lesbian couples are also less likely to report homeownership than black married couples.
Therefore, as a black lesbian, I can expect to earn less and may never own my own home.
So you see, the president's plan to give low-income workers a larger piece of the pie sounds good to the Jasmyne who, according to the U.S. government, is a single black woman. But it frightens the Jasmyne who is a black lesbian in a committed relationship.
And unlike the church that once supported the Jasmyne who was a single black woman but demonized the Jasmyne who was a black lesbian, I can't stop paying tithes -- oops, I meant taxes -- into the system. Lately I've been getting the United Church of the American Government and the United Church of God In Christ confused.
My bad. It's the morals thing and the blurry line between the separation of church and state. You understand.
But, getting back to the point, where does that leave millions like me who work hard to provide for our families while paying money into a system that isn't guaranteed?
What options are left? Win the lottery? I know, maybe my girlfriend and I can find a nice gay couple to switch partners with, in name only, and get married. That would open the door to the plethora of federal benefits provided to married couples, and I could still be a lesbian, because of course, my husband would still be gay.
Maybe that's the answer to my same-gender loving brothers and sisters' problems. It is still gay marriage, but with a little twist that I am sure would go unnoticed by the U.S. government. After all, they're checking for two words on the marriage application, male and female. Right?
All jokes aside, the issue of Social Security or Social Insecurity, as I affectionately refer to it, crosses all lines of race and sexual orientation. The black community, whether heterosexual or gay, has the most to lose or benefit from any reforms to the current situation. Black gay and lesbian couples have just as much at stake and a concern for what happens with Social Security as anyone else. We want fairness for all black families.
Jasmyne Cannick is a public policy communications strategist in Los Angeles. Contact her through her Web site, www.jasmynecannick.com.
Libs are so sneaky!
"Therefore, as a black lesbian, I can expect to earn less and may never own my own home."
And this is our problem how, exactly? She says that fewer lesbians report owning homes, but is that because they are lesbians? Are mortgage companies turning down every lesbian that applies? I don't think so. There are other factors besides being lesbian that explain the home ownership statistics (perhaps such as living in a large city where renting is more common) but she states it as though the lower home ownership stat is directly linked to the lesbian stat and it's a cause and effect relationship. Silly.
And just whose fault is it that they make less? Could that be that they did not prepare themselves for life, training, education, doing SOMETHING beside sit on their asses? Naw, I'm wrong. It is the mean ole conservative's fault these people are stupid and ignorant. Our fault they did not prepare themselves for life. And to better answer this stupid woman, I work for 4 attorneys. One is female with a female companion who is also an attorney. They probably make over half-million a year together. Now could it be that they went to college and law school and got an education have anything to do with the fact that they now make money? Naw, it is our prejudices against their sexual preferences that causes them to be dumb and stupid and not make a decent living. Naw, I'm all wrong again. Mean ole conservative that I am.
1) The SS plan championed by the Democrats guarantees nothing. Please don't support it.
2) The SS Plan championed by President Bush guarantees payments for the poorest citizens. Please support the President.
3) The SS plan championed by the Democrats provides no ownership of assets, so accrued benefits cannot be willed to anyone at anytime.
4) The SS Plan championed by President Bush provides ownership of assets in the form of mutual funds which may be willed to anyone you like. Please support the President.
Boo Hoo!
What do lesbians do on their first date? Buy a house and move in together.
None of us should be forced to give the government our savings. Period.
Well, according to this woman, they just rent a house and move in together and we should all pay to remedy that!
Private accounts would solve the gay partner problem.
The author is really confused.
I have done several loans for lesbian couples. Never gay male couples though-just haven't come across it.
As a lender while I may not agree with their lifestyle, that does not affect their ability to pay a loan back.
IF she can't write any better than this, she must suck at her job.
Clear, concise, and effective--well done.
Given that homosexuals have higher than average incomes, and that this black female is more likely to land a job than a caucasian male or female, I'm not too worried about her.
Well then stop being a lesbian.
What on earth does the choice of sexual acts have to do with government Ponzi schemes?
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