HRC UNVEILS NEW MARRIAGE STRATEGY: From the Washington Blade

After months of promising a bold new approach to advocating for same-sex marriage rights, the Human Rights Campaign this week unveiled plans to ask Congress to pass a collection of bills that would provide gay couples with many of the benefits and rights conferred by marriage.

While saying it would continue its "hard push" for same-sex marriage itself, the group outlined a strategy that sidesteps a single, same-sex marriage bill. Instead, HRC is calling on Congress to pass separate bills to help gay families overcome the government's denial of their right to Social Security survivor benefits, spousal exemptions from estate taxes, the ability to make medical decisions for an incapacitated partner, and dozens of other benefits related to marriage. ...

Members of Congress supportive of equal rights for gays have introduced bills in the past several years calling for a number of marriage-related benefits for same-sex couples, including Social Security survivor benefits and immigration rights for gay partners similar to those given to the foreign born spouses in heterosexual marriages. All of these bills have died in committee. Capitol Hill observers say they have little chance of passing anytime soon under a Republican-controlled Congress.

Smith and Christopher Labonte, HRC's legislative director, said HRC is working with lawmakers to introduce more bills that cover a broader array of rights and benefits for same-sex couples.

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posted by Eve at 9:03 PM | link

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