HRC Back Story

As we approach April 15th – “Tax Day” – HRC is launching a national effort this week to provide same-sex couples with the tools and resources they need to navigate today's complicated tax laws and put in place good financial decision-making. We're also joining with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders 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.

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 prevents 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.

This means they can’t take time off to care for a loved one without risking job loss; they can’t provide survivor benefits to their partner or children despite a lifetime of payments into Social Security; they can’t get equal pay for equal contribution as a federal employee or veteran; 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.

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.   One of the things we're most proud of are the results of HRC’s Workplace Project, our in-house business outreach team that has helped over 50% of the Fortune 500 offer benefits to same-sex partners -- up from just a handful in 2000.  Because of HRC’s on the ground organizing and work with key coalition partners, 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.

We'll have Joe Kapp, co-owner of a Washington, DC financial planning practice that caters largely to the GLBT community, and other experts on hand this week to answer questions.  Joe Kapp and his practice co-owner Nick Burkholder recently published a comprehensive article on financial planning for same-sex couples in the National Journal of Financial Planning (To view the printer-friendly version (.pdf), download the article here.)

We're calling our campaign “7 Days to a Better Financial You” and here's a preview of some of the things we have planned for the week:

Monday, April 7:

HRC to launch national action alert highlighting the significant financial burdens and legal hurdles for same-sex couples and how they can take part; HRC to host national media conference call with HRC President Joe Solmonese, Financial planner and columnist Joe Kapp, who recently published Journal of Financial Planning on challenges faced by same-sex couples, and HRC Legal Director Lara Schwartz, to discuss the basics to financial planning and the resources available;

Tuesday, April 8: 

Virtual Town Hall for Employers and GLBT Employees: Making Your Benefits Work for You

• This Virtual Town Hall will feature with Financial planners and columnists Joe Kapp and Nick Burkholder, HRC Workplace Director Daryl Herrschaft, and HRC Business Coalition board member Diego Sanchez;
• The Town Hall will also feature brand-new resources from the Workplace Project of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to help gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees achieve greater financial security, including:

·         Teach workers and their employers how to take full advantage of new provisions in the Pension Protection Act of 2006.

·         Provide participants with a template proposal to “gross-up” wages to offset the tax burden of enrolling for domestic partner health insurance benefits.

·         Educate callers on the financial issues facing transgender people.

• The Virtual Town Hall will also feature an overview of financial planning issues for GLBT people and their families, as well as an overview of HRC’s federal legislative efforts to secure equal tax treatment of GLBT families.

Thursday, April 10:

National web chat to answer questions from people in the GLBT community;

• The web chat will feature: Joe Kapp, co-owner of a Washington, DC financial planning practice that caters largely to the GLBT community; Brenda Jackson-Cooper, an associate at the Washington, DC law firm Arnold & Porter in the tax and estates practice group; and HRC’s state legislative director Chris Edelson and legal director Lara Schwartz.

Tuesday, April 15:

Faith and religious leaders will gather to raise awareness and call attention to the tax inequity faced by their gay parishioners.