Getting married? Dude that's so gay.

Rainbow Power

With a 33-29 vote in the Senate and a signature from Governor Cuomo, New York became the 6^th state to legalize same-sex marriage.  Given the size and visibility of New York, this legislation is nothing short of historic.  As expected, many voiced their disapproval claiming that gay marriage tarnishes the sanctity of the institution. Whether or not you feel like marriage has to be defined as being between a man and a woman, the truth is, marriage rights extend way beyond saying “I do”.

One of the vows says that you will love and support your spouse “in sickness and in health”.  The truth is, if you aren’t actually married, the “sickness” part gets a bit complicated.  First off, the key to a healthy life is access to affordable health insurance.  Most insurers only allow you to add your "spouse" to your policy so your partner might have to be stuck with a more expensive or lower quality plan.  It’s also difficult for one parent to stay home for the children if they cannot be apart of their partner’s insurance.  Raising your kids or having coverage is an unfair choice for anyone.  During a critical illness, a spouse is given the right to make all of the important decisions.  If you aren’t married, there’s a chance that a distant cousin can have more influence than you.  Right or wrong, marriage is “healthy”.

In America, being married affects your bank account because Uncle Sam prefers people to be married.  Couples who are married are in a lower tax bracket than if they filed separately and are allowed to contribute more money towards their retirement accounts.  Lastly, if you live in your home for more than two years and are single, when you sell, you can keep the first $250,000 tax-free.  If you are married, the first $500,000 is tax-free.  This means that if two couples (both in the 28% tax bracket) sell their homes for $500,000 profit, the married couple will be able to keep an extra $140,000.  When you add up the tax benefits over a lifetime, marriage becomes incredibly profitable.

That vote in New York wasn’t just about exchanging rings its about being able to enjoy all of the benefits that go along with the whole “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” that this country was founded on.  Beyond the moral debates and religious interpretations, there are two people who simply want all of the tools necessary to have their slice of the pie.  You may not be able to understand two men being together, but you can at least understand people wanting to have more money and being in good health to spend it.  We all deserve to have the sky be our only limit.

Even when the sky has a rainbow.