What are the effects of Social Security benefits discrimination against LGBT Americans?
The effects are harsh and pervasive and have both economic and social consequences. The Social Security system is a central element of our civil society. It is a beacon of our collective concern for one another and of our commitment to guarantee at least a minimum standard of living for America’s elders. America’s LGBT seniors are being denied vital Social Security benefits afforded to others – the very benefits that can make the difference between a stable retirement and a frighteningly uncertain future. Social Security discrimination also affects LGBT youth, who are subjected to a climate of rejection by government policies that devalue their partnerships and diminish the security of their futures. LGBT working people are required by law to pay into Social Security like everybody else; they play by the rules, but are left to worry about leaving partners and children behind to a system that frequently shortchanges them. And it is not only LGBT people who are affected. The relatives of
Related Questions
- Why are Social Security dollars paid in by Americans being handed to aliens who have not paid in - including Medicare benefits - that are not available to Americans in the same situations?
- How much money are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans losing because of this inequity in Social Security benefits?
- How do we overcome Social Security benefits discrimination? What about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)?
