4-09-10; By Melanie Nathan, San Francisco

As millions of Americans file their income taxes, here at LGR, we are compelled to call attention to the tax inequities facing same-sex couples as a result of the state and federal laws that refuse to recognize or extend civil marriage protections to same-sex couples.

“Each tax season, same-sex couples sit at their dining room tables and are forced to live a legal lie by checking ‘single’ despite their decades together—arbitrarily dividing up their joint household’s income, expenses, and dependents,” states MEUSA Media Director Molly McKay. “Even in states with domestic partnerships or civil unions, we still have to check ‘single’ on our tax forms because our federal government doesn’t consider us a family.  Then we write checks to the IRS for higher social security taxes because we can’t file jointly, knowing that when we die our families will not even have access to any of the family ‘safety net’ benefits provided by our tax dollars in the form of social security survivor benefits, estate tax deferral, and other programs that we help fund with our tax dollars—but which only heterosexual married couples and their children will enjoy.”

Marriage Equality USA, is an all-volunteer, national non-profit organization whose mission is to secure legally recognized civil marriage equality for all, at the federal and state level, without regard to gender identity or sexual orientation.

Marriage Equality, Inc. began as an idea in 1996 with a handful of activists believing that same-sex couples should have the freedom and the right to civil marriage, and angry that the federal government wanted to pass a law barring LGBT people from this right. The organization was officially founded and formed February 12, 1998, on National Freedom To Marry Day. The New York chapter became so successful that activists in Los Angeles Oakland and San Francisco California, responding to that state’s 2000 anti-marriage referendum, began Marriage Equality California.

In the late autumn of 2000, the national organization, Marriage Equality USA was officially founded. Since then other chapters have formed across the country and are chapters are growing every day. The organization’s sole purpose and focus is to end discrimination in civil marriage so that same-sex couples can enjoy the same legal and societal status as opposite-sex couples.

Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) understands how critical it is for a greater number of voices to be heard and often works in tandem with other state and national organizations. With greater numbers of people working together towards ending discrimination in civil marriage, MEUSA hopes to accomplish in the foreseeable future what truly is the inevitable. civil marriages for same-sex couples.

Polls today tell us that 40 percent of the U.S. public approves of the basic civil right for gay people to marry. With the help of committed individuals and organizations, we are confident that that percentage will continue to grow. Only then can we shape the kind of social climate that will change public opinion embolden our courts to make fair decisions in winning the freedom to marry.

Whenever we protest in the Bay Area, you can be assured the event would not be the same but for  Molly McKay of Marriage Equality, who can always be recognized in her white wedding dress, always the voice for so many! Thanks Molly!

In past years MEUSA has held April 15 Tax Day Protest events,  …………

TAX DAY EVENTS

Sonoma County, California

When:  Thursday, April 15, 2010 3:30 -6:00 PM
Where: Santa Rosa Post Office, 730 2nd St.
What:    Come hold Marriage Equality signs and join us as we partner with members of the ACLU for our tax day raly.  More info is available at: http://aclusonoma.org/pdf/TaxDayDemonstration.pdf !

Yolo County, California

When:  Thursday, April 15, 2010 NOON
Where: Davis Main Post Office, corner of Poleline and 5th
What: Join with the Yolo County chapter of Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA)
and Northern California ACLU at the Tax Day Protest.

Bring yourselves and your signs. We will have signs you can use too.

NO TAXATION WITH DISCRIMINATION
EQUAL TAXES…EQUAL RIGHTS
TAX US? THEN MARRY US!
NO SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR STRAIGHT PEOPLE
TAX US THE SAME…TREAT US THE SAME!
2ND CLASS STATUS IS A 1ST CLASS PAIN AT TAX TIME!

San Francisco & Alameda Counties, California

When: Thursday, April 15, 2010 5:00 – 6:30 PM
Where: Oakland Main Post Office 1675 7th St (1 block off the West Oakland BART Station)
What: Come hold Marriage Equality signs, get folks dropping off their Taxes to honk in support. We have fantastic, fun chants to get the message out!

Southern California:
Event Location:
U.S. Post Office™ – Airport Station
9029 AIRPORT BLVD
LOS ANGELES, CA 90009-9998
Time: 7:00PM – 8:30PM

Contact Person:
Jane Wishon or Wade Young, MEUSA  Los Angeles Chapter Leaders
ca-losangeles@marriageequality.org

Alternative: If you can’t make it – copy and print the text below and hand out to co-workers, friends, neighbors

An Explanation of Why We Do This:

Thank you for your willingness to take part in this tax day action in support of marriage equality and federal recognition for same-sex couples. In most states, we are denied equal access to civil marriage, and at the federal level, the Defense of Marriage Act excludes us from over 1,100 protections and benefits. Tax season is a frustrating time for all Americans; for same-sex couples, it is yet another reminder that while we pay income taxes and payroll taxes, we are treated as strangers under federal law—regardless of whether we are legally married under state law. In states where same-sex couples have marriage equality, tax day provides an opportunity to illustrate that although our families assume equal responsibilities and obligations, we are denied equal protection under federal law. With the new Obama Administration in place, we need share our stories and illustrate why the Defense of Marriage Act should be overturned and federal marriage equality granted.

For same-sex couples, tax season begins by having to check the box labeled “single” despite potentially being together for decades. Many tax preparers are unwilling to represent our families because our marital or lack of marital status greatly complicates how to complete our tax paperwork. In addition, many same-sex couples pay tax on their health insurance, and cannot file joint federal taxes even if they file jointly in their states. And although same-sex couples pay equally into Social Security, they are denied the safety net that it provides for their families. Same-sex couples are denied many federal rights and protections, including but not limited to:

• Social security survivor benefits are denied to surviving spouses of same-sex couples.
• Employer-provided health insurance, while tax-free for married couples, is considered income and taxable.
• The right to take time off to care for a sick or injured partner is denied under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

And while many people believe that granting same-sex couples the freedom to marry and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act will end up costing taxpayers, the truth is this would not only generate millions of dollars for state and local governments and businesses (Source: UCLA Williams Institute – http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Econ-index.html), it will save the federal government $1 billion dollars (Source: Congressional Budget Office). When taxpayers learn that denying same-sex couples equal protections costs them money, they listen.lease check back soon for a complete listing of tax day events.

Information from MEUSA website

Melanie Nathan LGBT ADvocate /Activist

Posted by Melanie Nathan,
Nathan@privatecourts.com

 From the Mediation desk of Melanie Nathan:

 Since the recession and housing bust, there has been an increasing amount of homes either about to be foreclosed or upside down. Often both or one party may still be feeding community or post separation income into  an unviable  property.    These situations may be remedied by short sales, loan modification, divorce settlements providing inter spousal transfers and indemnifications for debt assumed, or simply by walking away.

This difficult situation adds to the stress of divorce, especially if the parties are not in tandem as to the fate of the property.   Some may want to hold on to the property in the hope of a future upside,  and whomever remains on must be prepared to take responsibility for their share of the holding costs, such as mortgage payments, property tax, maintenance costs and insurance.  If one party decides to hold on, there is no likelihood of the other receiving any cash settlement  for an upside down property, regardless of what went into the property or the dream of a future upside.   

 I have had cases where one spouse holds the property, like the sword of Damocles, over the head of the other, asserting they will be stuck with poor credit, unable to find rental accommodation, in legal trouble, creating fear resulting in the threatened party holding on for longer than necessary.   

 This is where a neutral mediator and/or advice of a consulting attorney is imperative.  The neutral can help the party step out of the dream into reality.  The neutral provides a safe and peaceful environment for joint exploration of the remedies and can facilitate a productive discussion, helping the parties crunch numbers,  call in other  professionals such as CPA or Mortgage expert to assist with the analysis.  

Fear, misunderstanding  and false senses of security ought not stand in the way of moving forward. It is important to pursue the evolving legal remedies.   These cases need to be mediated rather than litigated. Positioning and pos toward resolving all the issues. Using separate attorneys can be counter- productive and may result in wasted precious time, while throwing good after bad. A party can always have a separate consulting attorney on the side.  

 With all this in mind I was delighted to come across an article by Kenneth R. Harney, November 29, 2009, in the LA times: “Professor advises underwater homeowners to walk away from mortgages; Brent T. White, a University of Arizona law school professor, says that it’s in the homeowners’ best financial interest to stiff their lenders and that it’s not immoral to do so.” … read on…   ( A MUST READ!)

“Go ahead. Break the chains. Stop paying on your mortgage if you owe more than the house is worth. And most important: Don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t think you’re doing something morally wrong.

That’s the incendiary core message of a new academic paper by Brent T. White, a University of Arizona law school professor, titled “Underwater and Not Walking Away: Shame, Fear and the Social Management of the Housing Crisis.”

White contends that far more of the estimated 15 million U.S. homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages should stiff their lenders and take a hike.”  

 This Article, a breathe of fair air, served to endorse my sentiment which I have not hesitated to express in mediation. These are unusual times.  Although the facts of each case may seem similar, they all have a distinctive circumstance and the facts must be explored in detail before a strategy is employed. The one piece of generic advice that I can impart is that one spouse should not be held hostage by the other to a hope or dream about the  future of the property, or to any obligation.  Divorce provides a unique opportunity to walk away from the property and leave it in the hands of the Party who does not want to give it up.  The mediator can help draft documents to reflect such an undertaking by one, documenting the discussion that led to the decision.      The change in spousal relationship can have an impact on negotiations with mortgage lenders and indemnities can be established between spouses for an element of protection if the lender pursues the non-owner spouse in the future.  Also of course a plan can be made for both to walk away. 

 Save your money,  and muster up six months of rent instead of paying it into the property. If you have bad credit and need to rent a property you can offer a few months of advance rental.  However BUYER BEWARE – when you pay rental ahead- be sure that the home you are renting is not about to be foreclosed upon as you may find yourself the victim of the Landlord’s inability to pay his/her mortgage.  

 I believe that walking away from an expensive dream opens the door for an inexpensive reality and good nights of sleep. 

MELANIE NATHAN 
nathan@privatecourts.com
www.privatecourts.com
www.divorcemediators.us

The State Department last month announced a similar gesture for State Department employees.

However, because the Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the federal government from extending health and retirement benefits to same-sex couples, health benefits do not appear to be among those that are planned to be extended.

Most in the LGBT community are greeting the move with skepticism this morning, as the order appears to be one of several lower level moves the administration had already promised gay groups were coming earlier this month. The timing of the announcement also appears to have been made last evening make sure it hit MSNBC Rachel Maddow show, which is widely viewed by members of the LGBT community.

It is doubtful that this move will silence many of Obama’s LGBT critics who are incensed over his inaction on gay rights issues as promised during his campaign and his Justice Departments defending in court the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to same-sex married couples, and by the administration’s linkage in that defense of same-sex marriages to marriages between cousins or children.

Fierce Advocates reluctance to repeal the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gay service members … after Obama promised during the campaign to repeal it … has also been a sore point among LGBT activists. The order Obama is to sign today would not apply to military men and women in uniform.

Most in the LGBT community are now demanding that Obama go beyond the small potato issues and toward the substantive issues of ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the Defense of Marriage Act and supporting Marriage Equality and most are saying his announcement last night will not be enough to save next weeks fund raiser.

Politco’s Ben Smith quoted the executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, Alan Van Capelle, as saying, “Welcome to 1999. How revolutionary of the White House to give benefits to same-sex couples, when two-thirds of conservative Wall Street are already doing it. What an achievement. It’s just one of the things that should have been done in January. If the President makes the announcement tomorrow, it will still fall short of what LGBT people are expecting from this administration.”

Van Capelle, is among those dropped out the Biden event.

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People, thanks to the economic crisis, are finally waking up to the fact that we NEED to do this.

MSNBC Reports:

“For the most part, what we’ve seen over the past 20 years has been incremental,” said Norm Stamper, a former Seattle police chief now active with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. “What we’ve seen in the past six months is an explosion of activity, fresh thinking, bold statements and penetrating questions.”

Some examples:

• Numerous prominent political leaders, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Mexican presidents, have suggested it is time for open debate on legalization.
• Lawmakers in at least three states are considering joining the 13 states that have legalized pot for medical purposes. Massachusetts voters last fall decided to decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of pot; there are now a dozen states that have taken such steps.
• In Congress, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., are among several lawmakers contending that marijuana decriminalization should be studied in re-examining what they deem to be failed U.S. drug policy. “Nothing should be off the table,” Webb said.
• National polls show close to half of American adults are now open to legalizing pot — a constituency encompassing today’s college students and the 60-something baby boomers who popularized the drug in their own youth. In California last month, a statewide Field Poll for the first time found 56 percent of voters supporting legalization.

That poll pleased California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, a San Francisco Democrat who introduced a bill in February to legalize marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol — taxing sales to adults while barring possession by anyone under 21. Ammiano hopes for a vote by early next year and contends the bill would generate up to $1.3 billion in revenue for his deficit-plagued state.”

Now there was less support than that for Prop 8, and I sure as hell can’t get married.

The state of California, the world’s 8th biggest economy, is going bankrupt (except a state can’t even file for bankcruptcy). Maybe if we move the state capitol to Wall Street we can get some help? It’s ridiculous that the Obama administration feels they have the right to blow billions on the car industry, just to drive them into 60% government ownership, but you can’t help California out with a lousy twenty four billion? You’ve got trillions for the banks, and nothing for the people of California? The administration thinks we can live without it, we’ll just have to cut some services. Yeah, like teachers, and healthcare. Just “services”, right? Nothing important.

David Cho, Brady Dennis and Karl Vick reported in The Washington Post:

California Controller John Chiang, a Democrat, warned last week that the state was “less than 50 days away from a meltdown of state government.”

While its fiscal crisis is severe, experts say the state is unlikely to default on what it owes, even if it runs out of cash. It can raise money through taxes and other means to assure repayment of its debt. Most likely are massive cuts in public services.

“After June 15th, every day of inaction jeopardizes our state’s solvency and our ability to pay schools and teachers and to keep hospitals and ERs open,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said Friday.

Problems unique to California have made it hard for the state to find a way out of its crisis.”

So a unique way out of it makes the most sense! Check out these great organizations to find out how you can get involved. I am not exaggerating when I say that we need to save California, and this could do it. Hell, it could jumpstart our whole economy! Its the most American thing to do, be creative, be inginuitive. They do say that neccesity is the mother of invention, right? And hey, that hemp grower Thomas Jefferson did alright for us, don’t you think?

NORML

LEgalize.org

“After locating two different companies offering “dentist strength” teeth whitening products online, Cathy took her idea a step further–to save even more money (as if the trials alone weren’t enough). Cathy (with the help of her son, as she quickly admits) was able to obtain TWO different discount coupons that would drop the shipping price for each trial to less than $1.99–meaning she could get her hands on both trials by paying less than $4 total.

“I was amazed… this was a steal, and I just couldn’t be more thankful. I was able to get both of the products, used them one after another, and the difference is astounding. This is better than I would have expected from my dentist.”

Cathy has been able to use the internet to share her secret with thousands through publications such as this one. If you are interested in following her routine, we have provided the coupon codes and links to the trial offers below:

Step 1: Click here for Dazzle White (Use Promo Code: whiteteeth)
Step 2: Click here for Smile Brite (Use Promo Code: smilenow)”

Now this makes a lot more sense than spending hundreds of dollars at the dentist office. Goes to show that even in a recession, you can still find something to smile about, right? I’ve tried these types of products in the past, as well, and they worked wonders on my poor smoke abused teeth. It’s really worth the five bucks, especially if you’ve got a job interview coming up.

But thing are not all that rosy in the “honorable” congressman’s district….

This post was written by Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio on the Hills Congress Blog…

When Monday morning’s news of GM bankruptcy broke, I was already two hours from home, talking with patrons and local workers in a Bob Evans Restaurant in my district, just a few hundred yards away from our local GM stamping plant that was on the list for closure in June 2010.

Having visited the facility on multiple occasions, I have come to know it for a high quality of work with dedicated employees. My first thoughts that morning were with the affected workers and their families. I also had the opportunity to speak with a number of local elected officials that morning, who would feel the brunt of this decision as well.

A number of factors led to this fateful day, not the least of which was a series of misguided actions by the White House and Congress.

The lack of a comprehensive energy policy led to $4/gallon gasoline, which hurt the sales of GM trucks and SUVs whose body panels are stamped in our district.

The arbitrary move towards artificial CAFÉ standards have stacked the deck against larger vehicles as well, codifying an unwarranted government preference to smaller vehicles.

The shortsighted cap-and-trade policy being debated in Congress will unilaterally disarm American manufacturers by raising the cost of American-made goods (like cars and trucks) through artificial increases in energy prices.

Finally, President Obama’s Auto Task Force, whose members have exactly zero hands-on experience in the automobile industry, are now the de facto decision makers for major companies like General Motors. They rejected several versions of GM’s restructuring plans before finally accepting the one that likely will result in a major facility shutdown in our district.

My dad worked 30 years for GM. It was once a thriving company-the world’s leading auto company. I’m hopeful for the future of GM, but a federal government takeover will only cause its current problems to linger. With common-sense, pro-manufacturing policy from Washington, we can turn the ship around and get our economy, and the automobile industry, back on track.

Seems the congressman wants to convince the folks back home that none of the present problems in his district is his fault…

But an editorial in his local newspaper, The Springfield Sun seems to have gotten the scoop on Congressman Jordan pretty well….

As wedge issues go, gay marriage certainly nears the top of the list of things that get conservatives worked up.

Of course if you’re out of work, don’t have health insurance or the bank is foreclosing on your house, it may not be even one of your top ten issues.

That’s certainly true if you live here and the gay marriage issue in question is about Washington, D.C.

That’s why it might leave local voters a bit puzzled to learn of Rep. Jim Jordan’s decision to make the Washington, D.C., fight against gay marriage his own.

Jordan, R-Urbana, whose two-term career so far has been that of a back-bencher who has created a slight legislative legacy, recently has been moved forward by his party as a spokesman.

He has a long record of being a social conservative, and his stance on gay marriage is no exception and in tune with the right wing of his party.

He is leading an effort to pass a law that defines a marriage in the District of Columbia as only being between a man and a woman. The D.C. City Council has voted 12-1 to recognize gay marriages from other states.

Jordan says that his position is about “affirming the ideal” of children having a mother and a father, Cox Washington correspondent Jessica Wehrman wrote in a recent column.

If marriage is all about children, does he oppose marriage between people who are infertile, past childbearing age or just don’t want kids?

Would he prevent mothers who are in abusive marriages from leaving their spouses so his ideal can be maintained?

Does this conservative lawmaker believe Washington, D.C., issues should be decided by a benevolent federal government?

More interestingly, has Jordan looked around his district and noticed the widespread pain caused by the economic crisis?

No one expects Jordan to abandon the Republican policies of the base that elected him.

But leading the charge against gay marriage in a place like the District of Columbia – where someone with his views never could have been elected – smacks of political opportunism.

It would say more for his ideals if he expended his energy to do something to help the people from his district who are suffering in a time of unparalleled trouble. Spending time reversing the D.C. City Council is just silly grandstanding.

As a  Gay resident of Washington DC… I heartily agree with the editors at the Springfield Sun.

Congressman Jordan has been in the house since 2007… he was there while a Republican president was in the White House and long before it was considered even possible that now President Obama could get elected.

The gas prices Congress Jordan railed on about went up under his watch… but there was no mention of a lack of a comprehensive energy policy till now…

The decline of GM has been going on a long time… yet Congressman Jordan never advocated any form of common-sense, pro-manufacturing policy until he was faced with angry voters at the Mansfeild Bob Evans Restaurant Monday morning. And he has still not given any details on what his vision of a common sense, pro-manufacturing policy to help the GM workers in his district would be…

But what he has done is come to DC to involve himself in business that is not of his concern or that of his constituency, and he wastes his time supporting a bill that has no chance of passing… While the people in his district suffer… because he is a homophobe…

I call that shortsighted Congressman Jordan. And it looks like a few people in your district think so too…

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“Residents are informed they’re being charged rent to stay in homeless shelters via a notice that’s sent to their shelters and caseworkers. They can appeal the amount in a hearing – but if they can’t pay, they’ll eventually be removed from housing.” Mayor Bloomberg” - NY Daily News

This is horrific, and I’m really shaking my head that seemingly every politician in New York is acting so shocked and horrified. Don’t be an actor, if it’s so wrong and awful Mr. Bloomberg just put a stop to it immediately!

I think this story is touching a lot of people across the country. Many who have been believing the tedious media “every thing’s  getting better” mantra must be horrified to have to contemplate being evicted from being homeless, when the thought of just becoming homeless in the first place was too horrifying to really let themselves imagine. We’re evicting people from shelters already and the economy hasn’t even bottomed out yet. Obama has flat out told us time and time again it is going to get worse before it gets better. I expect to see unemployment up to 14% by the end of the year (the national average right now is like 8%). This means areas hit harder, like where I live in Oakland CA, it could go as high as twenty.

There are tent cities going up around the country.

NBC reports:

“One single mother living in a Manhattan shelter tells the Times she got a letter saying she had to give up $336 of the $800 she makes each month as a cashier. Vanessa Dacosta makes $8.40 an hour at Sbarro. She got a letter under her door at the shelter a few weeks ago saying she’d have to fork up nearly half of what she was bringing in.

For Dacosta, who pays nearly $100 a week on child care for her 2-year-old, paying the shelter is hardly an expense she can afford.”

We all need to speak up loudly and stop these kind of policies before we’re all getting the boot. Speak up now while we still have the means please, everyone. We cannot treat American families like this. We can’t treat any human being like this. It is just plain Un-American.

“It’s not right,” Dacosta told the New York Times. “I pay my baby sitter, I buy diapers, and I’m trying to save money so I can get out of here. I don’t want to be in the shelter forever.”

Now she might not even have that. Its shameful.

This is me and Gina driving back from the Kern River where moms ashes were scattered.

“Term life insurance.”

The first time I heard that word was after I divorced my ex-husband.

I was on my own financially, and I had two toddlers. Since I was self employed, I didn’t take too much of a hit in my income when the divorce happened, but it did affect my health.

If you have ever gone through extreme stress, you might know what I am talking about.

For me, it took it’s toll on my immune system and it seemed like I had the flu for 2 years straight. Every time we would go to family court, I would get chest pains from the anxiety. After I was issued custody of my children and the stress subsided, I did get better health wise, but I seriously questioned my life at that point.

What was going to happen to my kids if something happened to me?

I immediately took out a life insurance policy, along with college funds for my children. When I had to pull out my check book and write the annual premiums out for those policies, I was almost back at the level of stress that causes chest pains – this wasn’t going to be a cheap date!

At the time I opted for a package that was half “term life insurance” and half “whole life insurance”.

Term life insurance is a straightforward type of life insurance where you are insured for a certain length of time, and if you become deceased during that time your beneficiary is paid a death benefit. Whole life insurance is different in that it is a policy over the course of your life span rather than a certain term of time, and with the company I chose this type of policy operated like an investment.

I chose to get both because of the risks associated with each:

-With term life insurance, there was a risk that once my term ran out, I could have developed a medical condition that would exclude me from qualifying for another policy at that time.

-With whole life insurance, there was a risk that my stocks could go down and thus the value of my life insurance as well.

Either way, I had to do a medical exam before I would be insured and I prayed that I would pass with my recent medical problems.

This company had a program which offered “life insurance no exam”, but it was at an outrageous cost. Well now we had a problem. If I had to do a medical exam for this life insurance this meant that the agent would be coming to my home and meeting my family, namely my new girlfriend and two children. I didn’t know how she was going to feel about that. We had normally met at the local Starbucks, but for her to come to my home had me a bit worried.

Nothing happened, it was uneventful, but stressful nonetheless.

I did pass the medical exam and at that time, I named my sister as my beneficiary.

However, a few years later when my girlfriend became my Domestic Partner, I called my agent to have things changed. It was an awkward conversation having to explain my relationship to her and when she came to my house to do the paperwork I just met her outside.

When my situation changed I was added to my partner’s health plan and burial package so I let the term life insurance go to save money each month.

Let me tell you my friends, I shouldn’t have ever done that.

Since then I have been having more health concerns, on top of the fact that the value of the whole life insurance and the children’s college funds lost about 75% of what I put into them. I know I know, that’s the risk you take.

Well, now here I am, Gina and I got married last year, and my mother passed away as well.

My mother was only 52 years old. She had a rough life, and I know that she did everything she could for us children, but in the end she didn’t have life insurance, and so many of her bills were left to my older sister. Now that I am aging, married and settled, “term life insurance” isn’t something I take lightly.

Last week I wrote a post for the Pink Money Post featuring eQuote.com.

That posts mentions that some employees of EQUOTE have relatives in the LGBT community, and they are welcoming to the gay community. I took a look at their site, saw that they have an A+ rating with the BBB, and submitted a free quote just to see how their rates were for the type of coverage I needed. When I saw the words “life insurance no medical”, I was instantly interested, but I honestly thought that the rates could be inflated.

Let me say that I was wrong!

For a 30 year term life insurance, it was cheaper than the shorter policy I took out ten years ago, and for more coverage! The section of the site I looked at was the part that said “Term Life Insurance with No Medical Exam”. I clicked on the button that said “Get a Quote” after I watched the video from the EQUOTE president. After answering a few questions about my medical history such as whether I have a serious medical problem or risky behaviors like reckless driving or extreme sports I instantly qualified, and the process was painless since I didn’t have to draw blood or have a stranger in my home staring at the pictures on the wall.

The next step was to get a quote and like I said the prices were pretty reasonable in my book!

I am going to talk it over with Gina but I think we are going to get the 30 year term life insurance for both of us. She has a small policy from work but I would like to get something to cover us both regardless of what the economy is like. We can both name each other as beneficiaries for our policies without having to conversate with anyone either!

The EQUOTE website will even let me print out my policy right away, and that makes me feel good. I like to keep all of our important paperwork together and having to wait for it in the mail is just one more thing to worry about.

Anyway, I really wanted to share this information with you all, especially the families with children.

Whole life insurance didn’t work for me, maybe it will for you, but life insurance with no medical exam works for me and it might for you too. It’s worth a look and like I said life insurance is not to be taken lightly.

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.

George W Obama

On Monday, President Obama rolled out his plan to save the failing U.S. automakers and while it has been a prime rib lunch for the bankers, it could be the soup line for many autoworkers, as Obama said no we can’t to the reorganization plans of General Motors and Chrysler.

Blaming what he said was a “failure of leadership, from Washington to Detroit” for bringing the automakers close to collapse, Obama made it clear he is willing to offer some degree of support to General Motors and Chrysler but warned they must restructure much faster or end up in bankruptcy court.

Obama’s experts concluded last week, that the Chevy Volt, the electric car being developed by General Motors is too expensive to survive in the marketplace and declared that GM was still relying too much on high-margin trucks and SUVs, and that Chrysler’s best hope was to merge with a foreign automaker, Fiat. They also decided that GM CEO Rick Wagoner needed to go.

Obama has given GM 60 days to determine what to do about its massive amounts of debt, get concessions from workers, slash dealers and cut its list of auto brands. The company also must prove it can make money in a normal sales market.

Chrysler is pretty much on its own… and has just 30 days to complete its proposed deal with Italian car maker Fiat, or else federal funding will dry up. The administration said it has determined that Chrysler can’t make it as a stand-alone company.

HOPE?

“What we are asking is difficult,” Obama said in his announcement of the auto plan Monday morning. “It will require hard choices by companies. It will require unions and workers who have already made painful concessions to make even more. It will require creditors to recognize that they cannot hold out for the prospect of endless government bailouts… Only then can we ask American taxpayers who have already put up so much of their hard-earned money to once more invest in a revitalized auto industry,” he said.

GM’s new CEO, Frederick “Fritz” Henderson, said Monday after Obama’s announcement, that the government’s increasing demands that GM get debt off its balance sheet means there is a very high risk that the company will have to reorganize through bankruptcy.

Henderson told reporters on a conference call that the company still would prefer to restructure outside of court. “We need to move faster and even deeper,” he said. “Our job is to run with that.”

The unemployment rate in Michigan is currently 12%. Michigan voted overwhelmingly for Obama last November’s election in the HOPE that Obama would help turn those numbers around, but a GM bankruptcy, a Chrysler liquidation and Obama’s plan to close more auto dealerships and factories can only make that figure grow.

Autoworkers… We LGBTI’s feel your pain.

On Fox News Sunday this past weekend, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was asked why there is “currently money in the 2010 budget” to keep enforcing the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy, particularly since Obama has promised the LGBTI community he would overturn it.

Gates said… “It continues to be the law. And any change in the policy would require a change in the law. We will follow that law whatever it is. That dialog though has really not progressed very far at this point in the administration. I think the President and I feel like we’ve got a lot on our plates right now and let’s push that one down the road a little bit.”

So it would now appear that the autoworkers will be joining us LGBTI’s aboard the SS those who backed Obama during the election and got really screwed this week by him.

Related articles by Zemanta

• GM’s Rick Wagoner Gone, but Carmaker’s Problems Remain (abcnews.go.com)
• Gates on DADT: ‘Let’s push that one down the road a little bit.’ (thinkprogress.org)
• Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: Why The Holdup? (alan.com)
• Obama unveils auto revamp plan, GM CEO steps down (cbc.ca)

As a result of recent operating losses, PlanetOut has been looking at its anticipated cash needs and adopted an operating plan to manage the costs of its capital expenditures and operating activities along with its revenues.

PlanetOut reduced its workforce by approximately 33% on January 16, 2009.

In addition, on January 8, 2009, PlanetOut entered into a merger agreement with Here Media Inc. This transaction is anticipated to be completed during the second quarter of 2009.

If the proposed business combination is not completed, PlanetOut will be in trouble and with have to look at further cost reductions or go out of business all together.

As mainstream newspapers are having a difficult time, it should be no surprise that gay and lesbian publications are experiencing some of the same troubles and there is a long list of GLBT publications that have recently vanished.

Last month, the investment fund that owns the Washington Blade, the Southern Voice, Genre magazine, and other gay publications was forced into receivership by the federal Small Business Administration (SBA), which will sell the fund’s assets and distribute the proceeds to investors.

As the economy continues to tailspin and advertising revenues drop, this could only be the beginning of trouble for even more LGBT publishers.

via PlanetOut Inc. Announces Information in Compliance with NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4350(b)(1)(B).

Related articles by Zemanta

• Is Gay Media Mogul David Unger On the Verge of Collapse? (queerty.com)
• The Day Gay Media Died (queerty.com)
• Kevin Naff Named New Editor of Genre (queerty.com)

Malcolm Lazin, executive director of the Equality Forum, said the loss of the city’s $115,000 contribution, about 13 percent of the weeklong events total budget, will force reductions in promotion and advertising and added that the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual community, which voted overwhelmingly for Mayor Nutter, feels the funding cut is not only “grossly unfair” but counterproductive for the city.

The Equality Forum began almost 17 years ago as a pride festival and has grown into a weeklong extravaganza, with lectures, workshops and symposiums on issues affecting the LGBTI community, as well as parties and rallies involving 75 regional, national and international LGBTI organizations.

City commerce and convention officials have worked for almost 10 years to attract their share of the gay and lesbian tourism market, worth $70 billion annually nationwide and statistics from the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation show that a typical LGBTI tourist in Philadelphia spends $230 a day during the Equality Forum.

A spokesman for Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter did not refute that the event brings tourism to the city but said that the city, which is facing a mammoth budget deficit, simply couldn’t afford to fund special events when libraries, pools and fire protection services are also being targeted for funding cuts.

The Mayors office also said that the Equality Forum is not being singled out and is among other events the city will not help underwrite this year; the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Puerto Rican Day Festival have also lost their funding from the city.

This year’s forum runs from April 27 to May 3 and while some events and parties, including the “international equality dinner,” have cover charges, most forum activities are free.

In total, the budget for the event is about $900,000, with about $200,000 coming from the state and smaller amounts from marketing sponsors and foundations. The loss of the city’s $115,000 contribution puts the organization in a difficult position because it has committed money for speakers, venues and other services.

We are waiting for the results of the Senate vote ending debate on President Obama’s recovery package….

After days of debate and compromise, the Senate has voted today to close debate on the now $827 billion stimulus package.

Republicans resisted this stimulus plan, which, after several new amendments last week, had bulged to more than $900 billion.

Friday a bipartisan deal reached to cut a series of provisions, including $40 billion in aid to states, nearly $20 billion for school construction, and $1 billion for Head Start programs, and got this bill down to $827 billion, a size that is more palatable to moderate GOP lawmakers….

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., battling a brain tumor, made his first appearance in the Capitol since suffering a seizure on Inauguration Day, and he joined all other Democrats in support of the measure.

The plans provides for increasing government spending, raising funding for unemployment benefits, food assistance for the poor, and job-creating investments in bridge and highway construction, among other things. The Senate package also included two costly but popular tax breaks not in the House bill, an $11.5 billion measure in the Senate package would encourage the purchase of autos by allowing buyers a write-off for local sales taxes and interest on loans and a $35.5 billion measure would create a new tax credits equal to 10% of a primary-home purchase, up to $15,000.

Compromise notwithstanding, in the hours before today’s vote, Republican opponents attacked it as too costly and unlikely to have the desired effect on the economy.

Today President Obama was in Elkhart, Ind., where unemployment has reached 15.3 percent, selling his plan to the people…. And tonight he will be giving his first prime time press conference…

And the vote is in… And in the end with the exception of 3 Republican Senators it was all a Democratic vote… 61 to 36… 60 votes were needed to close off debate and send the stimulus package to the Senate floor tomorrow for a vote.

Zeke Fread, spokesperson for Winter Pride, noted this year’s lack of vendor participation lead to axing the event.

Only half of the $25,000 needed to hold the event was raised. The announcement sparked many to contact WP and offer their assistance but the decision will stand.

The celebration was to be held at Lopez Park on February 28.

In 2006, Hillsborough County decided to not recognize gay pride events. The area’s gay community responded with the first Winter Pride Festival in 2006.

Though WP might be a bust for this year the event remains on the calendar for 2010.

Damn that economy.

California’s current campaign finance laws date to the Political Reform Act of 1974, and is a voter-approved initiative that established disclosure requirements for candidates and campaign committees.

According to the story from the Associated Press, James Bopp Jr., an attorney for ProtectMarriage.com and the National Organization for Marriage said,

“No one should have to worry about getting a death threat because of the way he or she votes. This lawsuit will protect the right of all people to help support causes they agree with, without having to worry about harassment or threats.”

As we have reported here on Lez Get Real, there have been many calling for boycotts. One business has suffered significant loss for one of it’s managers donating $100 to Yes on Prop 8. The Associated Press article had this to say about the backlash some of the Prop 8 backers are feeling:

The lawsuit by Bopp’s clients cites a series of incidents in which those who gave money to support the ballot measure have received threatening phone calls, e-mails and postcards. One woman reported being told, “If I had a gun, I would have gunned you down along with each and every other supporter.”

Another donor had a widow broken, one had a flier distributed around his hometown calling him a bigot and others have received envelopes containing suspicious white power, according to the lawsuit.

Businesses have been threatened with boycotts because people who worked there contributed to the Proposition 8 campaign, the suit said. In Sacramento, the artistic director of the musical theater company resigned after his $1,000 donation to the Proposition 8 campaign was made public, prompting threats to boycott the company’s productions.

One of the things I found interesting is that the lawsuit also asks that the two groups along with “similarly situated persons” would not have to file the final reports on Prop 8 or any future campaigns the groups may take on. That is one of the major reasons they are filing this suit. They believe it’s going to be hard for them to fund future campaigns because people are going to be too afraid to give money.

The removal of the names would only be for the Yes donors. I have a problem with that as well. It is either all or nothing. I also find it interesting that they are claiming this law to be unconstitutional when it is based on the Political Reform Act of 1974, a voter-approved initiative that established disclosure requirements for candidates and campaign committees.

Equality California, the group that led the campaign against Prop 8, also found this lawsuit to have a lot of hypocrisy. In their official statement Executive Director Geoff Kors had this to say,

“This lawsuit could not be more hypocritical. During the Proposition 8 campaign, the very same groups who filed this legal challenge sent menacing letters to Equality California’s donors, as well as corporations, labor unions, and individuals who stood up to discrimination and supported the No on 8 Campaign. Now they are calling themselves the victims. What’s more, these groups are arguing on the one hand that voter initiatives like Prop 8 should never be overturned by courts. On the other, they are asking a federal court to void a campaign reform law that was passed by voter initiative in California. They are asking that donations to Yes on 8 and only Yes on 8, even if illegal, be hidden from the public. This leads us to wonder what they have to hide?”

I think that this is something that will need to be looked at very carefully. Both sides have used the public list of donors to either intimidate or express their anger. We consider voting in the country sacred and private. If people know who you’re giving money to then you are basically tell people how you voted. On the other hand, with all of the pay-to-play politics we have seen lately, isn’t the reporting of where the money is coming from very important?

I think the money needs to be accounted for and we deserve transparency. I believe that the opinion of the California Attorney General is correct, we have allowed a majority to take away a minorities rights. It’s not ok. Their wouldn’t be this type of outrage a protest over some bond issue or even the legalization of marijuana. Keep the laws in place for campaign finance. Next time throw something like this out before it hits the ballot.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Okay, so I know that a lot people don’t necessarily celebrate Christmas. In my home, we celebrate Christmas and many members of our friends and family circle do as well. Christmas means different things to different people, but most often the joy of gift giving is incorporated into the Christmas tradition. Other holidays that are celebrated this season incorporate gift giving as well, and let’s not forget the birthdays and anniversaries some may be celebrating this month. In any case, the holiday season is prime-time for shopping deals and brand name bargains… for me, Christmas shopping is a sport!

As a consumer I am always looking for a good deal, a great product, or a fantastic service that will make my life more convenient. That being said, I took the time to gather a list of the specials you should take a look at before you spend any money this holiday.

The dollars you spend are like a VOTE telling businesses and corporations what you like and want. Spend your holiday dollars with care and make sure you are getting the best deal!

Here my ‘Holiday Deals for 2008’ links and coupon codes for you…

Holiday Shopping Deals
and Coupon Codes ‘08

Classic Closeouts
25% Off All Apparel – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
Use Coupon Code: CJBM

Cosmetic Alchemy
Save $69.99 on The LiBrow and LiLash Combo – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Code

Cosmetic Alchemy
10% Off LiLash w/Free Shipping – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

eFindOutTheTruth
50% Off Any Purchase – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

Fashion Bug
Free Shipping on All Orders – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

Happy Mothers
Free Shipping on All Orders – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

Lane Bryant
Buy One Get One Free! – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

Lego Online
Save On Your Order – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
$10 Off Orders Over $100
$20 Off Orders Over $200
$30 Off Orders Over $300
No Coupon Needed

Love and Pride LGBT Jewelry
Up to 70% Off Prices as Marked – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

Silicon Mountain
Free Shipping on Every Order – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

Shutterfly
Up to 50% Off + Free Shipping – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

The Hair Styler
30% Off Regular Membership – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

Wrapables
Save 60%! – ENDS CYBER MONDAY!
No Coupon Needed

48 Hour Prints
Save 10% on Envelopes – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

6Ave
5% Off + Free Shipping – ENDS JAN 18th
Use Coupon Code: AFL5

Adam & Eve Toys
50% Off Any Item – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

Asia Jam
Free Top or Scarf w/purchase over $70 – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: SCARF

Avenue
Free Shipping on Orders Over $75 – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

BabyStyle
20% Off All Toys – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: FUN20

Beauty Bridge
10% Off + Free Shipping – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Calendars.com
Free Gift Wrap w/$20 Order – ENDS DEC 8th
No Coupon Needed

Cooking.com
$40 Off Your $300 Order – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: C94832

Couture Candy
Orders Over $150 Get $10 Off, Free Shipping, & A Free CD – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Cleopatra’s Choice
10% Off on All Orders – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: GLOW

David’s Cookies
Free Shipping on Your Order – ENDS JAN 1st
Use Coupon Code: XMASFS

David’s Cookies
10% Off Your Order – ENDS JAN 1st
Use Coupon Code: XMAS10A

Diva Diamonds
Receive a $50 Gas Card for Orders Over $250 – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: GAS2008

Diva Diamonds
20% Off Your Black Diamond Earrings – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: SASBlackER

Diva Diamonds
Free Jewelry Box (No Minimum Purchase) – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: SASBox

Diva Diamonds
Free Diamond Ring (w/Qualifying Purchase) – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: SASFreeRing

Diva Diamonds
Free Sterling Silver Tiffany Style Bracelet w/Orders Over $250 –ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

Diva Diamonds
Free Polishing Cloth (No Minimum Purchase) – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: SASCloth

Diva Diamonds
$50 Off Your Diamond Earrings Over $250 – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: SASEarring50

Diva Diamonds
Free Shipping on Small Orders ($150 or less) – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: Free150

Diva Diamonds
Save on Your Jewelry Order – ENDS DEC 31st
10% Off Orders Over $100: SAS10off
20% Off Orders Over $200: SAS20off
30% Off Orders Over $300: SAS30off
40% Off Orders Over $400: SAS40off
50% Off Orders Over $500: SAS50off

Dual Action Cleanse
Free Shipping – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Designer Shoes
Free Shipping USA – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: AFREEUSA

eToys
Free Shipping on All Orders – ENDS DEC 14th
No Coupon Needed

eBeanStalk
Free Shipping on Gift Series – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

Endless Handbags
Free Overnight Shipping – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Everything But the Music
20% Off of Your Purchase – ENDS TBD
Use Coupon Code: XMAS08

Fragrance Net
Free Shipping in the U.S. – ENDS JAN 30th
No Coupon Needed

Fox Shop Online
Take 15% Off – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: FOXGIFT

FunMum Maternity
Up to 75% Off – ENDS TBD
No Coupon Needed

Game Shark
Free 2-Day Shipping on Orders Over $75 – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

HairProducts.com
Take 10% Off –ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: HPA473

Happy Mothers
$25 Off Any Ameda Breast Pump – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

Handango
20% Off Smartphone Software – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

In The Mood Intimates
10% Off Select Items – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

Ivy Blue
Free Shipping U.S. – TBA
No Coupon Needed

J Shoppers
Free Delivery Worldwide – ENDS TBD
No Coupon Needed

Kaleidoscope UK
Free P&P – ENDS DEC 25th
Use Coupon Code: KSHJ

Kimmy Shop
High School Musical Messenger Bags 83% Off! – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

Kimmy Shop
10% Off on Pokemon – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

Lane Bryant
Free Shipping on Orders Over $50 – ENDS DEC 10th
No Coupon Needed

La Senza Lingerie
Free UK Delivery & Gift Box – ENDS TBD
No Coupon Needed

Luggage Pros
Free Shipping and 10% Off Orders Over $100 – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: LP10

Maidenform
Free Shipping With $75 Purchase – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Nickelodeon Shop
20% Off Your Order – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Pingo
50% Off Your Holiday Phone Calls – ENDS DEC 31st
No Coupon Needed

Rainebrooke
Save 20% on Metro Lite Laptop Bags – ENDS DEC 25th
No Coupon Needed

Rainebrooke
Save 10% on Colorful Laptop Bags – ENDS DEC 25th
No Coupon Needed

Rubbermaid.com
Save 10% – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Star Wars Shop
10% Off Everything – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Stumps Prom and Party
5% Off Special Event Decorations – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: PRCJF8

Swimsuits for All
15% Off Select Items – ENDS DEC 9th
Use Coupon Code: 15Off

Size Appeal
Free Shipping – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: SPREE

Size Appeal
20% Off Your Order – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: LS20

Stacy Adams
15% Off Your Order – ENDS TBA
Use Coupon Code: 9942

The Popcorn Factory
Save $5 – ENDS DEC 31st
Use Coupon Code: SNOW5

Tiny Prints
5% Off Your Entire Order – ENDS JAN 15th
Use Coupon Code: AFLHOL

Trampoline Parts & Supply
5% Off Your Purchase + Free Shipping – ENDS DEC 15th
Use Coupon Code: DISCOUNT

Way Spa
Save 10% on Spa Certificates – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Wedding Paper Divas
5% Off Your Entire Order – ENDS JAN 15th
Use Coupon Code: AFLHOL

YumDrop Lingerie
Free Shipping on Orders Over $70 – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

MORE WEBSITES FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS…

Buy Costumes
Christmas Costumes – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Costume Man
Santa Costumes – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Goodwill Too
Lightly Used Christmas Decorations – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Hand Held Items
The Screaming Flying Monkey Christmas Edition – ENDS TBA
No Coupon Needed

Identity Direct
Personalized Christmas Story Book – ENDS DEC 10th
No Coupon Needed

Imaginary Greetings
Phone Calls from Santa – Ongoing
No Coupon Needed

Santa-Claus Letters
$1 Off Your Santa Letter – ENDS JAN 12th
Use Coupon Code: 12AB21

More deals and coupon codes will be added as I find them! Enjoy!

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.

Many people have the day off from work today and are choosing instead to hit the malls, shops, and online stores in search of deals and steals for the gifts on their list. I myself am an avoider of long lines, packed parking lots, and fighting over the last deal on the shelf. Instead I prefer to shop online and wait for my purchase to arrive in the mail. Ordering early will ensure that I get my order on time, but when I do, it’s like an early Christmas gift I get to open! Officially, Cyber Monday is the top holiday shopping day for deals online; but today is the day that the online deals will begin since it is the first ‘official’ shopping day of the holiday season. This means you can find deals for Black Friday online, not just locally. This biggest Black Friday Sale online can be found on Amazon’s Black Friday Deals Page. Of course the deals and discounts will be running all season, and I’ve got exclusive coupons and discount codes to share with you all on that, but for today be sure to check out the Black Friday deals in your area and online too. Have fun!

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her online by visiting her website at www.juliephineas.com.

To my surprise it was somebody my friend does business with. So when she rang the door again I grabbed the invoices and again closed the door. I mentioned the occurrence to my friend and thought little of it.

About an hour later my friend, who like many is struggling through these economic times, called me in her office to show me her email…. She has written a letter to that individual stating she doesn’t want to do business with somebody who has those views and especially somebody who promotes them. She later went on to address the issue and inform this person on how it was wrong; stating that two of her favorite employees are Gay and that we deserve Equality too.

Unfortunately, this person didn’t see it her way and discontinued business with her.

I am proud of my friend. She took a stand for what is right. So to her I say “Thank You” and ask that you support her business by visiting her website at http://www.toymomsattic.com/. We need to support our friends who make their stance known, and she has a great site perfect for the holidays!

If there’s a toy you need and don’t see it, you can send an email to orders@toymomsattic.com.

To everyone else…

Let’s compile a list of small businesses that support us and do the same for him or her.

Let’s keep our money with our straight allies as well!

Felicia is a newlywed who wants to change the world…One conversation at a time! You can visit her on Facebook here.

This past weekend fires destroyed around 200 homes in California, and they are still burning as I write this post.

Last week we had a earthquake drill across the state to practice emergency procedures in case of ‘The Big One’, which is projected to hit within the next 30 years. The week before that gay couples in California and other states lost the right to marry, and have had their relationships thrown into limbo. Now, more than ever, protecting my family, home, and livelihood has come to the front of my mind.

What would we do if we lost our home? What would we do if we lost one another?? Even more so, what would happen to our children???

Today my wife and I took the time to review our finances, insurance, and investments and I suggest that you do the same.

Estate planning is not fun, but it can give you some serious peace of mind in times of chaos or emergency. We don’t always like to think about negatives, but that doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen. Bad things DO happen, and how prepared you are for hard times can go a long way in how well you overcome adversity or how big of a hit you take financially and otherwise. What would you do if you had 10 minutes to evacuate your home? What would you do if your partner passed away unexpectedly? What would you do if your dog bit someone, your house was robbed, or you were in a car accident? These experiences can be devastating, especially if you have no plan of action.

Now, more than ever, make sure to take the time to review your situation and put a plan in place.

Protecting your assets, and making your wishes known are key. Talk to your family members, tell a trusted person what to do if the unthinkable should happen. Get on the ball and make sure your papers are in order. We had a big discussion on who to put as our ‘contingent beneficiary’. If my wife and I were to pass at the same time, who would control our estate? That was an interesting conversation to have! There are many factors to consider, and I suggest reading an earlier post I put together called Estate Planning for Committed Lesbians.

You will find the service I have been using for legal documents is LegalZoom.com.

They have a comprehensive selection of legal services, including everything you need for planning the future of your estate. Leaving a Last Will and Testament, plus putting in place a Power of Attorney is a priority if you are in a gay relationship. I hope that if you are reading this post, you don’t just blow this off. Planning for disaster is not to be put-off or dismissed as unnecessary. I have seen people lose their homes, money, and/or children too many times not to protect myself and my family. Please, please, please, make it a point – now more than ever – to protect your family and their future. Put a plan in place, and make a big step towards your peace of mind.

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her online by visiting her website at www.juliephineas.com.

“Australia’s only lesbian community grants program, Lesbians Incorporated (LInc) has announced the availability of a $10,000 grant.

LInc has provided lesbians and lesbian-friendly organisations with financial assistance through its community grants scheme since 2000, distributing over $75,000 for a range of activities.

Lesbians and lesbian-friendly organisations may apply for grants up to $500 at any time and around every 18 months, LInc funds one large grant of up to $10,000.

“In an effort to inspire creativity, imagination, ambition and community, Lesbians Incorporated has created a $10,000 grant category,” said LInc co-convenor Megan Slinning. “It’s the largest single amount we have made available since the start of the community grants scheme in 2000. The successful applicant or applicants will be announced on International Women’s Day next year.”

The article goes on to say:

“The large grant scheme is aimed at supporting innovative broad-based community projects. Applications for projects solely of benefit to individuals will not be accepted. Essential criteria include relevant experience and a detailed budget proposal.

LInc is made up of funds initially donated by lesbians across Australia in the late ’80s and early ’90s through the Lesbian Space Project and other community fundraising projects. Income is derived from invested funds and distributed annually in the form of grants.

Previous recipients include Sheila Autonomista Festival, Slit magazine, Scooter Collective, Giggling Gertie comedy workshop and the Women’s Library.

The closing date for applications is January 31, 2009. For more information and to download an application package, visit www.lincgrants.org.au.”

SX News is the leading gay and lesbian newspaper in Australia.

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her online by visiting her website at www.juliephineas.com.

It is called a boycott, and the word dates back to Ireland. When Captain Charles Boycott refused to reduce the rents of his tenants and even went so far as to evict anyone who spoke out against him, he found himself ostracized. People refused to do business with him. No one would harvest his crops, and no one locally would buy them. By the end of the year 1880, Captain Boycott withdrew from his post, sold his lands, and went to live in London.

Boycotts today are hit and miss. Some entities are so big that they cannot be boycotted. It is hard to really boycott a state, or a business the size of, say, Disney, but you can boycott small businesses.

The power of Pink Money can be seen in Vermont. After 1999’s Civil Union legislation, there was a movement called “Take Back Vermont”. It was something of a disaster. Tourists believed that it was a great marketing campaign to remind them to take a bit of Vermont home. They bought souvenirs such as maple syrup and Vermont made goods and took them home as gifts.

The “Take Back Vermont” also served as a huge target. Businesses found themselves losing customers. Supporters of civil unions and gay rights stopped shopping at the stores. In the larger cities where the gay and lesbian communities are their largest, some businesses failed entirely because they had put up signs saying “Take Back Vermont”. Others survived by having to find outside buyers for their goods. It cost them a great deal of money to move their business out of state. There are some business which did survive the boycotts, but even now, some people would rather go to the next town fifteen to thirty minutes away rather than buy anything from those businesses.

Other businesses, which supported civil unions and gay rights, soon found themselves inundated with orders. Some were able to expand their businesses just with the increase in income as the LGBTI community shifted their resources into buying from them.

None of these businesses were big businesses, but rather the businesses which could least afford to loose customers. If a business is too big, say the size of Wal-Mart, can loose one or even a thousand customers without being hurt, but a small business cannot afford to loose more than a handful.

What we can do, each individually, is use the power of the purse and spend our money where it is needed. After all, if a business can afford to spend a few thousand dollars on a campaign ad, then they can certainly afford all of us shopping somewhere else. It won’t work against something like Wal-mart, K-Mart, Hannifords or Krogers, but it will work against Chuck’s Auto Store, or Lucy’s Grocery.

And we should take those Pink Dollars and spend them where they will support us. We should spend them in stores where we can support our own and our allies. There is power in the boycott. And in this economic climate, those Pink Dollars have more power than ever.

Photo: Rural Vermont, taken by Sei

Sei is a trans-lesbian who lives in Vermont and has a strong passion for LGBTI rights. She has a BA in History and her hobbies include sci-fi, anime, fantasy, action movies, video games, and more. You can visit her Blogger profile here.

How important is the small business vote? Extremely important to this election. So important that a plumber who no one knew about just a few weeks ago has been catapulted to stardom overnight. The McCain campaign claims that Obama’s policies will raise taxes and stifle business growth. Obama says that 90% of small businesses will get a tax cut under his plan and incentive to pay for employee health care. So who is right and who is wrong? Lespreneur did the research and this is what we found. If you want to know who stands in your corner as a small business owner, it’s Barack Obama.

Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Health Care

Obama clearly understands the burden of rising health care costs on the small business owner. Obama’s Small Business Health Tax Credit will work alongside other aspects of his health care plan to lower costs and improve competitiveness for America’s small businesses, including:

Access to a Low-cost National Health Exchange:

The Obama health care plan will provide small businesses with new opportunities to buy low-cost, high quality health plans for their employees through a national exchange similar that will allow small businesses to get the same benefits of spreading risk and administrative costs over a large pool that larger businesses currently enjoy.

Reduced Volatility and Lower Costs by Reimbursing Catastrophic Costs:

The Obama plan will reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers’ premiums. This reimbursement (often called reinsurance) is particularly important for small business plans, which can be overwhelmed by the costs of catastrophic expenditures for even a single employee.

Investment in Cost Reduction and Quality Improvement Strategies:

The Obama plan will aggressively lower health costs by facilitating broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, and other value-increasing innovations improving chronic care management, and increasing insurance market competition.

What McCain says: McCain simply wants us to shop for healthcare, he wants to provide a 5,000 tax credit for care which on average costs $12,000. The math is simple on this one.

2. Women & Minority Owned Businesses

To create greater opportunities for women business owners who would like to do business with the federal government, Obama and Biden will implement the Women Owned Business contracting program that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, but has yet to be implemented by the Bush Administration. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will strengthen Small Business Administration programs that provide capital to minority-owned businesses, support outreach programs that help minority business owners apply for loans, and work to encourage the growth and capacity of minority firms.

What McCain says: Nothing

3. Bridging the Digital Divide

Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe we can get true broadband to every community in America through a combination of reform of the Universal Service Fund, better use of the nation’s wireless spectrum, promotion of next-generation technologies, and new tax and loan incentives. As a key step to achieving full broadband access, Obama believes the Federal Communications Commission should provide an accurate map of broadband availability using a true definition of broadband instead of the current 200 kbs standard and an assessment of obstacles to fuller broadband penetration.

What McCain says: Nada

4. Business Incubators

Obama and Biden will invest $250 million per year to increase the number and size of incubators in disadvantaged communities throughout the country.

What McCain says: Zilch

5. Increased Funding and Access to Capital

Barack Obama cosponsored the bipartisan Small Business Lending Reauthorization and Improvements Act. This bill expands the Small Business Administration’s loan and micro-loan programs which provide startup and long-term financing that small firms cannot receive through normal channels. Obama and Biden will work to help more entrepreneurs get loans, expand the network of lenders, and simplify the loan approval process.

What McCain says: He wants to cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%. So who wins here? You guessed…big businesses. You know the Exxon’s, the JP Morgans, etc…

But don’t just take my word for it, do your own fact checking.

Check out Obama’s complete plan here and McCains not-so-complete plan is available here.

No matter who your candidate is (but I hope it’s Barack Obama) just be sure to cast your vote on November 4th!!

Yours,
Lespreneur

Tammy Freeman is a small business expert, she loves entrepreneurship and finding ways to save a buck or two. She resides with her partner and their children in the Washington, DC metro area. Tammy’s latest venture, “Lespreneur: A Magazine for Lesbian Entrepreneurs” is coming soon to lespreneur.wordpress.com. Her personal musings, rants, thoughts and raves can be found on her blog: Pink Chocolate Sunshine.

As a lesbian mom, I have unique concerns when it comes to my legal issues and financial estate.

I am in a committed lesbian relationship with children from a previous marriage. The issues of child custody, visitation and support are a given whenever children are involved in a relationship. However, a heterosexual marriage is afforded many rights automatically upon union whereas a same-sex relationship has limited to zero rights in many parts of the world. Whenever a person enters a committed relationship they are entering a form of partnership. There are certain responsibilities relevant to the relationship that each party is expected to maintain. The government sometimes has laws and/or programs in place to provide aid and support to those people who might need it if they are experiencing problems with their relationship/partnership. The concerns of the gay and lesbian community are not included in many government systems, and in some parts of the world homosexuality is frowned upon and sometimes illegal, which means zero rights and support for the gay men and lesbian women in committed relationships.

I am fortunate enough to live in an area of the world that offers access to aid and support for the needs of my relationship/partnership concerns.

I have to say that Estate Planning is a must for any family with children, and any persons in a committed relationship. Now when I say committed I mean committed! I don’t mean the girl that you U-hauled with last week, or the guy you’ve been dating on and off for a month. What I am saying is that if you have a stable and healthy relationship and you want to make it permanent (or at least semi-permanent LOL) then you need to consider Estate Planning.

Gay and Lesbian Estate Planning is a whole new frontier!

The goal in taking this path is to provide some security for your estate in the future; especially during the unforeseen ‘hard times’. If you are raising children together, this should take a priority in your life because you have to provide a secure future for them regardless of whether times are hard or not! You can read more about Estate Planning on Wikipedia where you will find a portal with links to all things related to Estate Planning in general.

Be sure to look into information about:

~passing the greatest amount of estate possible to beneficiaries
~paying the least amount of taxes
~avoiding involvement in probate court
~providing for and designating guardians for minor children
and
~planning for disability or incapacity

There are a few special concerns for Gays and Lesbian when it comes to Estate Planning and planning for retirement:

LGBTI individuals are less likely to have strong family support systems in place to have relatives to care for them during aging. They are twice as likely to enter old age living as a single person; and two and a half times more likely to live alone. Because institutionalized homophobia as well as cultural discrimination and harassment still exist, they are less likely to access health care, housing, or social services or when they do find the experience stressful or demeaning. – Gay and Lesbian Retirement on Wikipedia

There are many resources available to those of you in the LGBT Community when it comes to securing the future of your ‘estate’.

Because the rights of gays and lesbians are limited in most areas, you will have to research what LGBT rights are available to you in your area. As for myself, I am a divorced mom in a long term committed lesbian relationship in the State of California. In 2004, Gina and I filed for Domestic Partnership as a way to legalize our relationship. We had to go to a notary to sign the paperwork and then take it downtown and file it. It wasn’t a big deal when you look at the process, but that made us a legal relationship in the eyes of the State which IS a big deal when you consider others who don’t have this freedom. Our status as Domestic Partners gave us the opportunity to qualify for health benefits for the family through Gina’s job which was a big saving grace on our finances. Some places offer limited marriage rights thru Civil Unions, while others offer full marriage rights thru Same Sex Marriage. On June 17th, 2008, the State of California legalized same sex marriage and we got married in a civil ceremony at the county clerks office. Unfortunately Proposition 8 is threatening to take those rights away this Election Day, so we will see what happens with that. To find out what rights are afforded to you in your country you can visit this site.

Other things to look into if you are a lesbian in a committed relationship:

~Legal Name Change for Matching Last Names

~Power of Attorney for Authorization to Legally Act on Each Other’s Behalf

~Durable or Medical Power of Attorney for Authorization to Make Medical Decisions on Each Other’s Behalf Up Until Death

~Living Will or Advanced Directive to Make Note of Your Wishes upon Incapacity

~Last Will and Testament to Make Note of Your Wishes upon Death

~Living Trust to Ensure the Timely Settlement of Your Last Will

~Determining Your Financial Beneficiaries and Naming Them as Such on Your Bank Accounts, Retirement Fund or Pension, Life Insurance. (and anything else that pays a death benefit.) In the U.S. we are working towards Social Security Rights for the Gay Community where you would be able to list your same-sex partner as a ‘permanent partner’ with the Social Security Department.

Plus you might venture into:

~Adopting a Child Together or Second Parent Adoption

One of the sponsors of this blog is Legal Zoom, because I personally use them for my legal needs.

This is not a lawyer service, but a legal preparation service. If you do not have the money to hire a lawyer and want to take the do-it-yourself route, then you should look into Legal Zoom. I’ll give you an example of why you would want to do this. When I had my last name changed to match Gina’s last name, I looked for info online and ended at Legal Zoom.

I ordered their Name Change package for $139 and what I got for that was:

~all the forms I needed
~precise instructions on how to fill out the forms
~the exact directions to follow to process my name change
~directions to the nearest court house and all the phone numbers I would need for filing fees, fee waivers, newspaper announcements, etc.
and
~complete information on what to do after my name change was complete such as for changing my passport and social security card, drivers license and more

There are also self-help resource centers in most court houses that can not give you ‘advice’ but can give you ‘information’. They can review your forms with you and tell you what you need to do if you are not sure.

I recommend any time you have legal stuff to handle that you and your partner block some time out and make a day of it.

Prepare to get in line early, grab lunch together, bring a newspaper to read – whatever it is you do but it will take you lots of time to handle these things if you do it on your own – and bring your checkbook. If you have the finances for an attorney, make sure that it’s a good one and save yourself the hassle by hiring them! If not, it can be frustrating to know that you are standing in line for 2 hours to change your name because you are gay. If you have to take the self-help approach to Gay and Lesbian Estate Planning, I say Legal Zoom and the Self Help Resource Center at the courthouse are huge resources for you!

Here are some other resources for you that you can take a look at online as well:

Why Gays and Lesbians Need Estate Planning
Article: Estate Planning for Gay Couples
Article: Estate Planning for Gay and Lesbian Couples
Estate Planning on Rainbow Law.com
Estate Planning for Gay and Lesbian Couples on Self Growth.com
Same Sex Estate Planning from LA Tax Lawyer.net
Domestic Partner Health Insurance 101
Estate Planning for Gay and Lesbian Couples Who have NOt Entered Into a Civil Union or Registered as Domestic Partners
GayLaw.org

Plus here are some books that I found on Amazon that might help you in your journeys:

A Legal Guide for Lesbian & Gay Couples
Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples
Estate Planning for Domestic Partners
Valued Families: the Lesbian Mothers’ Legal Handbook
Every Trick in the Book: The Essential Gay and Lesbian Legal Guide
and
Everyday Law for Gays and Lesbians: and Those Who Care about Them

Thank you very much for reading this article.

Securing your family’s future is important whether you are gay or straight. Feel free to comment this post with any other ideas you might have for Estate Planning for the gay family. Plus you can always visit the blog community to discuss this topic with other readers. Thank you for visiting and please come back again soon.

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.

No on Prop 8 has been working hard to raise money to counter the misleading television ads that Yes on Prop 8 has been running, but it isn’t enough. They’ve raised $25.4 million dollars, while we’ve only raised $15.8 million – the difference is HUGE. The bottom line is that No on 8 needs more money, and I feel the best way to help the cause is to spend my money on No on Prop 8 merchandise. When I visited the No on Prop 8 Store I was pleasantly suprised to see that while some of the merchandise I was looking for has been sold out, most of the remaining items have been heavily discounted!

Tees are 20% off, this coffee mug is a whopping 33% off, and most items are now offering a multiple product discount when you purchase two or more of the same item!

I know we can all appreciate a good deal these days what with the economy and all. I know that times are tough right now for everyone financially, but PLEASE, NOW is the time to dig down deep into your couch, under the seat in your car, look into your coat pockets from the party you went to last week for that $5 you might have left in there. If you just don’t have anything to give right now, you just might have to sacrifice something… either a night out, a movie rental, that new pair of shoes. PLEASE GIVE NOW!

If we don’t dig deep now… if we don’t sacrifice now… we will pay the ultimate price on November 4th and that is just ONE month away.

Visit the campaign website and make a donation, and be sure to enter referral code 536, or make a purchase today from the No on Prop 8 Store. Either way, you can be sure that your money is being well spent, on a purpose that is bigger than No on 8 or Yes on 8. It is about equality, fairness, and the right to marry the person you love.

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her online by visiting her website at www.juliephineas.com.