LGBT people should think of a way to hold America hostage.

[Meldread]

I am just throwing this out here as a possible form of protest and I want to hear what everyone thinks.

What would happen if LGBT Americans and our allies (and I'm sure we'd get many more non-allies on board just for the ride) refused to pay our taxes? What if we sent a list of demands to the government of the United States flat out saying: "No taxation without equal representation."

America revolves around her money. She loves it. It's her true and only love. You take her money away and she gets really, really upset and either becomes very reasonable or pissed off.

What if there was a website setup where we could pledge to participate in such a boycott of America? It could be a pledge like this:

---
Until all Americans, specifically Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) citizens are legally recognized as equal citizens by the Government of the United States of America we hereby pledge to:

1. Not pay our taxes to any local or state government or the federal government until it recognizes the equal rights for all of its citizens under the law.

2. Not to give our money to any American Corporation who supports policies that are anti-discriminatory toward the LGBT community.

3. We will not visit any city or state within the United States of America that has discriminatory policies against LGBT people.

Equal Rights is defined as:

1. The removal of any law that was put into place to discriminate directly or indirectly against LGBT people.

2. The recognition of full and equal relationship rights which are on par with heterosexuals by the federal and state governments, including civil marriage.

3. The adding of laws in which it clearly states that attacking someone for their sexual orientation or gender identity classifies as a hate crime.

Discriminatory Policies are defined as:

1. Policies in which LGBT people are discriminated against in employment, pay, job security, or partner benefits.

2. Policies in which LGBT people are treated unequally or unfairly compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

Where upon the areas of the United States of America begin to recognize LGBT people as equal citizens we will pay the balance due on our taxes. Where upon businesses reform their ways we will once again begin to patron them.
---

I hastily wrote that down as it came to me. Would this be an interesting course of action? Who thinks we could get enough people involved with an idea similar to this to make a difference? What is the likely backlash?

On the website, in addition to a list of companies both anti and pro-LGBT on the site it could also include the list of names (possibly addresses and phone numbers as well if they are publicly available) of any IRS Agents who harass anyone who is resisting. Then every time one of their names pop up they can get a flood of e-mails, letters, and phone calls. It would make them very hesitant to harass us over it.

[donheld]

1. How does one refuse to pay taxes?

Most of us work for companies who take our taxes out before we every see our money. Is it possible to tell these companies not to withhold our taxes?

[monarch]

4. A thought about this

Could we all adjust our withholding? I think that all you do is get a form from your employer. Then you could specify a very small dollar amount to be withheld. That way you could starve the government during the year and if you caught up at the very end (not sure about this) there wouldn't even be a penalty.

[Sapphocrat]

2. Can't risk the record.

I have to stay squeaky-clean if I ever expect to emigrate -- anywhere. Which is the reason I don't attend protests or rallies anymore. (Wish I could, but that's how they're holding me hostage.)

I think a "bolt" from the party is more likely to succeed, but then we'd only be taking the Dem party hostage, and they'd end up scapegoating us even more than they already do for losing the election of the moment.

And even if we could convince every last voting queer to withhold his/her vote, that's only an estimated 4 million people, max (if you include Uncle Tom's Cabin Republicans).

Add our familes, friends, and other allies, and you're talking big numbers.

But could we do it? Ehhhhhhhhhhhh... No.

My dad (R.I.P., Pop, 15 years today) always said, "Don't tell me something won't work unless you have a better solution." But I don't have another solution.

If I had, I would have sung right out around 1979. :)

[Kipling]

3. It would be the poor that suffered. As ever.

The economy would collapse. The deficit would go insane. Benefits and medicaid would be slashed first. Imagine another Katrina in the middle of that kind of crisis. The death toll would hit five or six figures.

With unemployment, debt, death and poverty on the up, public opinion would be dead against you.

[Meldread]

6. Public opinion is already dead against us.

Would people suffer as a result of this? Yes, but I have to ask what's the difference? How many LGBT people are suffering right now as a result of discriminatory laws? Think about it. How many LGBT people have lost their homes after their partner died, and because they couldn't get married and were not considered the next of kin, their partners family didn't consider their relationship valuable, ended up deciding to take everything from them?

All we would be saying is, "We are suffering, and for as long as we suffer so too will everyone else suffer." Why should we send our money to a government who refuses to acknowledge us as full citizens? If it causes hardship in America - gee how awful - but America brought it on herself.

Americans do not see us as citizens. They do not know our value. By withholding our funding to a government that is discriminatory and fighting it, we are starving it of its power. If by some miracle it collapses then who does it have to blame but its own policies?

I think at absolute best we might be able to cause some inflation and maybe a ripple effect throughout the economy. It would touch everyone in America in some small way, and touch them where it hurts the most: Their pocket books.

It sends a strong message: Our problems are now your problems too and that is the goal behind it. If people don't like it what are they going to do? At worst they can take our homes (if we own one) and throw us in jail. ...and even if we go to jail they can't possibly find enough room to hold us all. And even from prison we'd still be able to claim that we stood for our freedom and our right to a pursuit of happiness.

The Civil Rights struggles in the past resulted in violence and people died. People lost everything. There is no reason our struggle for equality should be - or will be - any different. They have seen to it that our one and only hope for equality the Supreme Court is stacked with right wing Judges. What hope do we have of getting our freedom from them? None. We are left with the rule of the majority who are not effected one way or another by our struggle for equal rights. So, we need to find a way to effect them making our problems their problems too.

[Kipling]

8. Perhaps.

"How many LGBT people have lost their homes after their partner died, and because they couldn't get married and were not considered the next of kin, their partners family didn't consider their relationship valuable, ended up deciding to take everything from them? "
I feel sorry for them, but they didn't die. If the US government's ability to respond to a hurricane or terrorist attack is crippled, people will die. If there is no money for welfare or medicaid - or even A+E rooms - people will die.

"The Civil Rights struggles in the past resulted in violence and people died. People lost everything. There is no reason our struggle for equality should be - or will be - any different."
Two reasons that it is different:
1. The abuses you are suffering just don't compare. Do you have to use different toilets, schools, hotels, cinemas or bars? Do you get worse treatment in hospitals? Can you vote?
2. Many similar situations have been resolved by peaceful means. Either identical-rights civil unions or gay marriages are already in place in most of Europe except for Austria. Italy and Britain are both putting into practice legislation as I type. Even some parts of the USA and Australia seem to be coming round.

[Ayesha]

5. Margaret Cho has a solution

All the gay wedding planners, makeup artist, wedding dress designers, hairstylists, florists, musicians and caterers should go on strike and say "If I can't get married, you can't get married!"

:rofl:

[MountainLaurel]

7. Some have done so

It was actually a Prebyterian reverend here in the DC area who will not conduct official marriage ceremonies until gays can marry with the same rights and privileges.

[ronnykmarshall]

9. Margaret is right .

Could you imagine if very hairstylist went on strike?

Nancy Reagan would storm the White House.

[Ian David]

11. That works! And caterers, waiters, justices of the peace, etc

There's already one Presbyterian church refusing to perform any weddings.

[Ian David]

10. Start smaller with things less likely to involve jail-time

For example, a musicians and actors strike.

Or, at the student level, imagine if students protested discrimination at their school by having the marching band stage a sit-in on the middle of the field during half-time.