Valentine’s Day Bill Would Make Tax Code Queer-Inclusive

The “Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act,” introduced today in Congress, would take gendered terms like “husband” and “wife” out of the current tax code and instead use terminology like “spouse.”

“Today, as Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day, I introduced this bill to make simple, common sense changes to our tax code so that it accurately represents all people to whom it applies,” Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich. told NBC. “The Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act will make small changes that have a huge impact on the affirmation of the LGBTQ community.”

“The Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act will make small changes that have a huge impact on the affirmation of the #LGBTQ community.” https://t.co/jWLElPYRY0

— VA Pride (@va_pride) February 14, 2019

“This bill is an innovative step to scrub our tax code of anachronisms that sideline transgender taxpayers and ignore the progress our country has made in securing the right to marriage equality for all,” said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, in a statement to NBC. “Any law that tries to enforce strict and outmoded definitions of gender is bound to hurt every American of every gender.”

What better way to celebrate V-Day then with some new, inclusive legislation?