PRESIDENT OBAMA MAKING HISTORY

EQUALITY FOR GAYS IN INAUGURATION

Fuerte Men News

In his second inaugural address, President Barack Obama made history by becoming the first United States President to acknowledge gay and lesbian rights in his speech.

"It is now our generation's task to carry on what those pioneers began.  For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts.  Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law -- for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well,” said President Obama.

SURROGACY AGREEMENTS

TWO MEN AND A BABY

By Ed Elrod, Fuerte Men Legal Correspondent

So you and your partner have decided to create a FAMILY! How do you go about that exactly? What a concept for those of us who made the decision to live as LGBT persons knowing that it might mean never parenting a child together with your loved one. In the modern world families are created outside the traditional “marital union” more and more often. So, how do two people bring a child into the world together if they need a third? A surrogacy agreement between a Surrogate and the Intended Parents will take care of the issues that come up after the initial idea of “we wanna have a baby and we need your help” settles in. It’s important to talk about all of the things you don’t want to bring up at that touchy-feeling meeting so as not to take away the magic of making a family. It’s also critical to talk about potential events before they happen, instead of when they happen, because emotions are running much higher due to the situation.

RIGHTS OF SURVIVORSHIP

Lessons In Gay Property 101

By Ed Elrod, Fuerte Men Legal Correspondent

So you’ve finally made it big! Met the partner of your dreams, moved into together, met the parents, and decided to get serious by buying a home together. How do you do it? There are a number of different ways an individual can “hold title” or own property.   Real property has what is called a “title” which tells the entire world that you have a “property interest.” It was for this reason that Recorders developed a system of recording deeds. A recorded deed allows everyone in the world to look up a name, an address, and see who owns property or is “interested in” a particular piece of real property. This protects both property owners and creditors who might lend to a person and need to know how they can guarantee or secure their interest.

SAME SEX COUPLES PAY MORE TAXES

Fuerte Men New

A new study finds same-sex spouses are paying as much as $6,000 a year in extra taxes – compared to heterosexual married couples. The study is from a joint release by CNN Money and H & R Block.

The reason behind the tax increase is because the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages. This means couples cannot combine their income and deductions to take advantage of lower tax rates.

ALTERNATIVE FAMILIES IN THE LGBT WORLD

By Ed Elrod, Fuerte Men Legal Correspondent

The world has changed and the way relationships and families are created have also changed. Two men can partner and have a child, two women can partner create a child, but both partnerships require the introduction of a third party to provide sperm, an egg, and possibly a surrogate to bring the child into the world. These novel methods of creating families require clear agreements about the rights and responsibilities of each person who plays a role in this new family to avoid disagreements, legal battles, and the harmful effects on growing children.

In the modern world, where marriage is not an option to LGBT persons in most US states, LGBT people choose partners across gender without the protections afforded by antiquated laws. It is important to realize that the only time there are problems are when issues arise that are not addressed by traditional state laws regarding families, property, parentage and custody. LGBT partners have the same issues that straight people do: infidelity, separation, and dissolutions of a relationship.

Marriage – A Rose by Any Other

Name Would Smell As Sweet

By Ed Elrod, Attorney & Fuerte Men Legal Correspondent

The right to “marry” or enter into a legal union according all of the same protections and benefits under federal law is still out of reach for most Americans.  Sadly, the right to marry is one of the most heavily challenged issues in our country today. Already presidential hopefuls for the 2012 election are vowing to outlaw same-sex marriage by introducing legislation for a Constitutional Amendment. Sadly, Bachmann and many others resort to the lowest tactic by framing the issue in terms of the rights parents will lose if same-sex marriage is not outlawed. Fear tactics using schoolchildren have swayed voters in past elections by preying on the fear of the “unknown” risks homosexuality allegedly present in a free society. A brief overview of the states’ view of same-sex marriage reveals that few states truly allow a person to marry the person of his/her choice, and even if your state allows you, even through error, to marry, other states have enacted laws allowing them to ignore your marital status.