Boston Tea Party rallies nationwide April 15th

April 11, 5:24 PMInternational LGBT Issues ExaminerKelvin Lynch

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                 The original Boston Tea Party of 1773

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!

That will be the mesage this Wednesday,  April 15th, as thousands of same-sex couples across the country re-enact the Boston Tea Party of 1773.  For those of you who may have forgotten, the Boston Tea Party was a revolt against the British government, which was taxing Boston citizens without providing them direct representation in the Britsh legislature. It was an iconic event in the buildup to the American Revolution.

Co-sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, Join the Impact, and Marriage Equality USA, the events are in protest of the federal goverment's tax policies towards same-sex couples. 

According to Join the Impact MA,

The intent is to inform the public of the discrimination that same-sex couples continue to face, being reminded of their second-class status when they file their federal tax return form.  Despite living in committed relationships, same-sex couples—even those married in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and California—must file as individuals, forgoing over 1,100 federal rights granted to heterosexual married couples.

"Married same-sex couples are blatantly discriminated against under federal tax law, among other areas, and we're doing our part to shine a light on that injustice.  A Boston Tea Party Re-enactment is a spirited way to do just that, and it also adds some variety to your standard protest,” said Paul Sousa, co-chair of Join The Impact MA.

Among the most egregious policies is the federal government’s denial of social security benefits and inheritance rights to same-sex couples. LGBT individuals are blocked access to their partner's social security benefits, often making retirement financially difficult, if not impossible. They are also denied access to the lump sum given to survivors which can make it hard to cover hospital and funeral expenses for their loved one.

The Boston Tea Pary will be Wednesday at 5:30 on Long Wharf.  Attendies are encouraged to wear colonial period costume if so inclined to make a statement against antiquated social policy.

In addition to Boston, rallies are planned at post offices in at least 44 other cities nationwide, including Oakland and San Francisco.

The San Francisco rally will start Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at 246 Sanchez Street post office near Dolores Park. Contact person is Michael Koehn at kmkoehn@gmail.com.

The Oakland rally will start Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the 1675 7th Street post office.  That one is sponsored by Marriage Equality USA and contact is alamedameusa@gmail.com.

To participate, go to Equal Taxes, Equal Rights   to sign up, find organizing toolkits, and contact information for your city.

For those of you who might leave a snarky comment, I'm beating you to the punch:

TEA BAGS ACROSS AMERICA!