And this would be why state-by-state marriage rights aren't enough
Why even if you have all the legal documents you "should," it's no guarantee that will be enough. Thanks to juniperus for the link.
The other big thing that a friend of mine once pointed out is that if your marriage is not recognized at the federal level, and one of you dies, the other partner could lose your home just due to taxes that would be waived or lowered (I forget which, and that's something I ought to rectify) for a recognized spouse to inherit. Federal taxes, ergo only federal recognition means anything.
So yeah, this needs to be resolved at the federal level. Meanwhile, I've just RSVP'ed to join the Love Makes a Family one year anniversary celebration of equal marriage rights in Connecticut, because while it's not enough, it's a very important step in the right direction.
The other big thing that a friend of mine once pointed out is that if your marriage is not recognized at the federal level, and one of you dies, the other partner could lose your home just due to taxes that would be waived or lowered (I forget which, and that's something I ought to rectify) for a recognized spouse to inherit. Federal taxes, ergo only federal recognition means anything.
So yeah, this needs to be resolved at the federal level. Meanwhile, I've just RSVP'ed to join the Love Makes a Family one year anniversary celebration of equal marriage rights in Connecticut, because while it's not enough, it's a very important step in the right direction.