HRC Back Story

With the April 15 tax filing deadline fast approaching, this week HRC is focusing on empowering the GLBT community to take charge of their financial future with our "7 Days to a Better Financial You" campaign.

Although we can point to legislative successes around the country to see how life is improving in many areas for the GLBT community, the fact remains that 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.

Watch the video below as Julie and Charlene, two working professionals, share their stories on the real-life challenges they face as a same-sex couple raising two young children:

Julie: Besides all the regular things that are quite time-involved when it comes to raising children and raising a family, we have to think about everything else to protect our rights as a same-sex couple raising two kids...

Charlene:...which runs in the thousands.

Julie: We can't filed jointly because we're not married; so we have to file separately. We have to decide which person will be able to deduct the children off of their tax return...

Charlene: ...And the benefits that come with that - such as childcare. We're both paying for child care, but we don't have the same benefits.

Julie: We're in the process of getting geared up so that we can have second-parent adoption. For Charlene and I had both of the children; I delivered both children. So Charlene has to adopt to become their legal parent. So that's going to be...

Charlene: ...a huge expense once again. We have to have an attorney involved. And then, even with the attorney, you still have a process. And if anything was to go wrong, God forbid, I still would not be... safe.

Charlene: We both serve our country as best as anyone else does. Plus, I've defended our country on many foreign lands, and yet I don't have the rights of everyone else in America. I'm being made to feel different and not allowed to get the benefits that are entitled to me - or anyone else that lives on this soil.