Atlanta clergy rightly divide the word of truth in denouncing unfair tax policies towards GLBT families

We just received an update from HRC’s Religion and Faith Director Harry Knox on the clergy protest at the Atlanta Regional Postal Facility in Hapeville, GA.  According to Harry, more than a dozen religious leaders showed up to decry the impact of unfair tax laws on their GLBT parishioners. Members of the local press, including the Atlanta CBS affiliate and Southern Voice, took note of the demonstration that featured opening remarks by Harry Knox and speeches by four GLBT and straight-supportive clergy members, including Rev. Jimmy Moor, Pastor, St. Mark United Methodist Church; Rev. Antonio Jones, pastor of Unity Fellowship of Atlanta; Rev. Dr. Kathi Martin, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ; and Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim.

We thought you would be interested in reading a sampling of the speakers’ prepared remarks:

Harry Knox:

Statement by Harry Knox
Director, Religion and Faith Program
Human Rights Campaign Foundation
Atlanta, GA – April 15, 2008

“Whatever is demanded by truth, by justice, by mercy, or by love must surely be taken to be willed by God.” Thomas Merton

My name is Harry Knox. I am director of the Religion and Faith Program at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in Washington, DC. Thank you all for taking time out today to help us raise awareness of the very real effects of unfairness on the well-being of lesbian and gay couples and their families in this country.

Across the country, millions of same sex couples face significant financial burdens and legal hurdles in building a secure future for their families. As a result of the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing legal same sex marriages, these couples are denied access to the more than 1,100 federal benefits and protections available to married couples, which means they can’t take time off to care for a loved one without risk of losing their job, they can’t provide Survivor Benefits to their partner or children despite paying into Social Security for a lifetime, they can’t get equal pay for equal contribution as a federal employee or veteran (people like those who work in the Post Office behind me), and they can’t include their spouse or children on their employer-based health plan without facing significant tax penalties. According to the Williams Institute, the average employee who receives partner benefits pays an additional $771 per year out of pocket in federal taxes based on the value of those benefits. At my house that means the equivalent of three months worth of gasoline we give to Uncle Sam that our non-gay brothers and sisters who are married don’t have to pay.

Despite the absence of federal marriage protections, each day the Human Rights Campaign fights for equality for these couples and their families so they can live financially secure, open and equal lives. In Congress, state houses, corporate board rooms, emergency rooms and communities across the country, HRC is knocking down the barriers to equality – one by one. As a result of HRC’s workplace project, over 50% of Fortune 500 companies offer benefits to same-sex partners, up from just a handful in 2000. Because of HRC’s on the ground organizing, ten states plus the District of Columbia have civil unions, domestic partnerships, or marriage, and more are considering relationship protections. HRC is gathering support for measures that would provide family and medical leave to same-sex couples, equal family benefits for federal employees, and an end to unfair taxation of health benefits.

And so over the last week the Human Rights Campaign has launched a national effort to provide same sex couples with the tools and resources to navigate tax laws and ensure good financial decision-making. In addition, HRC is joining with a bipartisan group of Members of Congress to unveil a new legislative agenda – called Family Matters – to pass laws that provide equal rights and responsibilities for same sex couples and their families. Such bills include the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act, the Domestic Partnership tax bill and the Domestic Partnership Benefit and Obligations Act or DPBO.

Why, some might ask, are these issues religious issues? Why are clergy representing local congregations standing here today speaking out for fairness for their lesbian and gay parishioners and members? It’s because they know that injustice is immoral. And they know the unfair treatment of lesbian and gay couples in their congregations does real harm to those couples and their families. For these clergy, it is a pastoral issue – an issue that demands a pastoral response that includes speaking out in the public square for equality and dignity for those they love and care for.

This morning we will hear briefly from four local members of the clergy from here in Atlanta. I will introduce them now and they will come to the podium in the order I call their name. First is Rev. Jimmy Moor, senior pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta. He will be followed by Rev. Antonio Jones, pastor of Unity Fellowship of Atlanta. We will hear next from Rev. Dr. Kathi Martin is on the pastoral staffs of both First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta and Victory Temple in Stone Mountain. Then Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim will round us out and we will take questions. These loving faith leaders will tell us why we must end tax inequality for gay people now – because such is demanded by truth, justice, mercy and love.

Rev. Elder Antonio James:

Statement by Rev. Elder Antonio Jones
Pastor, Unity Fellowship of Atlanta
April 15, 2008

My name is Rev. Elder Antonio Jones and I am pastor of Unity Fellowship of Atlanta. A prophet of the Old Testament suggested that we are required to “act justly and love mercy”. Today, we like the prophet’s audience have failed to completely carry out this universal principal. As I witness the daily strain economic inequality puts on the financial, emotional and spiritual lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people our failure becomes much more obvious.

Where is the justice called for by the prophet? On this day millions of us are focused on our financial positions and our plans for our future and the future of our loved ones. Yet, out of every paycheck gay and lesbian individuals receive, they pay into Social Security taxes, some of which goes toward survivor’s insurance that their partners will never see.

Justice demands that we honor the lives of all Americans. While the question on the table seems to be “what will happen to Social Security when the baby boomers retire en masse?; Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans who are 65 ask, “How will my partner survive after my death?”

We are pastors and a rabbi who are concerned about personal, pastoral issues we face with our gay and lesbian members. Those pastoral concerns have, at least in part, a political solution. It is time for all Americans to work for and support the Family Matters legislative agenda

I am called – we are called – to advocate for justice – economic justice for all – including lesbian and gay Americans.

Rev. James Moor:

Statement by Rev. Jimmy Moor
Pastor, St. Mark United Methodist Church
Atlanta, Georgia – April 15, 2008

My name is Rev. Jimmy Moor and I am here to tell what is true about taxes and families headed by lesbian or gay couples. I serve as the Senior Pastor of the Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Midtown Atlanta. About 17 years ago Saint Mark made the decision to open its doors to the GLBT persons in its community and did so in a wonderfully affirming way. Today well over half of our worshipers come from the GLBT community. They have found in Saint Mark a welcoming community where they can be accepted for who they are, worship the God they love, and find meaningful avenues of service and discipleship. Many of our members are same gender couples who are in long-term, committed, loving relationships. As one of their pastors, I know of the serious impact the inequalities in our tax laws and other laws place on these couples and their families. I speak today out of pastoral concern for my members, and in the long tradition at Saint Mark of standing for justice.

The issues are real. Our same gender couples pay the same Social Security payroll taxes as other citizens, but they are excluded from spousal and survivor’s benefits. If I die, my wife can get my Social Security benefits. That right is denied to the partners of gay persons in our church. Benefits are also denied to the surviving children of a deceased GLBT worker. These are monies that could pay for the necessities of life, and they are monies my children would have gotten had I died while they were still minors. Whole families suffer from our tax policies.

Our GLBT couples worry about the fact that they have to pay estate taxes if one partner dies. My wife and I do not bear that burden. Our members worry about their inability to get and retain health insurance for their partners, another worry my wife and I do not have. The list can go on and on. Because of the inequalities of our laws, the same gender couples at Saint Mark are denied over 1100 benefits and protections that my wife and I take for granted. The denial of these benefits affects all same gender families, but the poor families suffer the most.

These are issues of justice. My faith is clear: we are called to do justice (Micah 6:8); we are called to treat others the way we would want to be treated (what the book of James calls the royal law); we recognize the sacred worth of every person, knowing all of us are made in the image of God. For the members of Saint Mark;, for same gender couples everywhere; for myself; for us all, I join other voices today urging justice for our GLBT families.

Rev. Dr. Kathi Martin:

Statement by Reverend Dr. Kathi Martin
April 15, 2008

Micah 6:8 – “What does the Lord require of you but to love justice, do mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

In an article in Southern Voice this week, Rev. Dr. Cindi Love, executive director of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, wrote, “When we aren’t honest about the economic and legal burdens we place on LGBT families we are frankly getting in God’s way. Jesus asked us to love and care for one another. When we remain ignorant or uncaring about how our LGBT families are harmed, we are not acting as Jesus would have us; we are not acting like the children of God that we all are.”

This is a call to justice, mercy, and humility which is foundational to the development of a harmonious, equitable society. However, when we ignore or discount the added burden LGBT families face by illness, unemployment, loss of health care benefits, and death we compromise our own humanity and we also violate God’s requirements of us all. That is why it is critical for people of faith to support the Family Matters Legislative Agenda to pass laws that provide equal rights and responsibilities for same sex couples and their families. When we support such bills as the Family Medical Leave Inclusion Act, the Domestic Partnership Tax Bill, and the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act we actively love justice, do mercy, and work together as an equitable society under God.

Rabbi Joshua Lesser:

Statement by Rabbi Joshua Lesser
Congregation Bet Haverim
Decatur, Georgia – April 15, 2008

I am Rabbi Joshua Lesser and I proudly serve a synagogue where gay and straight members worship together. Our membership is nearly half gay and half straight. Inside our walls, there are no significant distinctions between our members. They generally want the same kinds of things: strong relationships and family connections, meaningful work, success raising their children, a roof over their heads, and ways to contribute back to the larger society. At Bet Haverim, though we have great diversity, we embrace the value rooted in the central message of Leviticus: Love Your Neighbor As Yourself. We remind ourselves each time we gather on Saturday Mornings for services that the intention of our prayer is to strive towards loving our neighbors. This is a cornerstone value for all people of faith.

But outside our synagogue walls, the differences between the straight couples and gay couples are immense, not because of who they are or how they live, (which are pretty similar) but because of how our country, the United States of America, treats them. This is abundantly evident on Tax Day when gay and lesbian people pay into the tax system like everyone else, but are denied the benefits that are given to others. The same-sex couples in my synagogue and across the country face significant monetary and legal barriers in building a secure future for their families. The Defense of Marriage Act, which prevents our U.S. government from recognizing legal same sex marriages, the gay and lesbian partnered couples in my synagogue and all over are deprived of more than 1,100 federal benefits and protections available to the straight married couples in my synagogue. This does not live up to the value of loving one’s neighbor as one’s self.

My faith community supports the building of strong secure families and cannot understand the arbitrary distinctions that our federal government makes. It means that gay couples cannot take time off to care for a loved one without risk losing their job. They can’t provide Survivor Benefits to their partner or children despite paying into Social Security for a life time. They can’t include their spouse or children on their employer-based health plan without incurring tax penalties. We are all neighbors—this does not makes sense. As people of faith, we must do the loving thing and pave the way for equality under our tax code. One of the ways Leviticus expounds on the this value of loving your neighbor is by calling for fair treatment of all workers.

As people of faith if we truly want strong families and a strong country then we must act on the foundation of our faith beliefs and that is to love our neighbors as our ourselves! In doing so, we strengthen the foundation of our country: our families. Loving your neighbor, requires to step into another’s shoes momentarily and to notice what life is like from a different perspective. When doing so, you are able to see the inequities and call for a change. That is what we are called to do as people of faith. After all, we are your neighbors, your teachers, your grocers, your physicians, and even your rabbis.