According to the most recent U.S. Census, approximately 400,000 same-sex couples reside in California. Many of these couples are raising children together. These families suffer very real harm because of current marriage and family laws, which set them apart as second-class citizens in many ways, some of the most important being child custody and visitation, stepparent adoption, administration of estates, acquisition, ownership and transfer of property, marital tax rates, marital tax exemptions, health insurance, workers' compensation, and unemployment insurance coverage for spouses, coverage of spouses under medical, life and disability insurance, family care and medical leave, bereavement leave, claims for wrongful death and victim's compensation rights, hospital visitation, medical consent, conservatorship, and guardianship. The only way to ensure that these couples receive the legal rights, protections, benefits and responsibilities that they are entitled to, is to grant them full and equal access to marriage. The State of California and all of its citizens would benefit from marriage equality.
Family is the foundation of civilization.
Allowing couples of the same sex equal access to marriage would strengthen California by promoting stable families across the state. Thank you for taking a stand for fairness. Please take a moment to sign Marriage Equality California's Petition to Action, which I have enclosed. I urge you to join Marriage Equality California's Campaign for All California Families and support equality in marriage for couples of the same sex in California. According to the most recent U.S. Census, approximately 400,000 same-sex couples reside in California.