Family | Relationships | Massachusetts

Jaką rolę odegrała organizacja GLAD w walce o równość małżeńską?

GLAD przewodziło walce o równość małżeńską w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Początkowo wiele stanów, zamiast oferować małżeństwo parom jednopłciowym, zapewniało dokładnie te same prawa, ochronę i obowiązki, co małżeństwo, nazywając je związkami cywilnymi lub zarejestrowanymi związkami partnerskimi.

Walka GLAD o równość małżeńską rozpoczęła się w Vermont od pozwu, Baker przeciwko VermontGLAD wygrał sprawę, ale Sąd Najwyższy stanu Vermont pozwolił legislaturze na podjęcie decyzji o sposobie wdrożenia tej decyzji. Zamiast oferować małżeństwa parom jednopłciowym, legislatura stanu Vermont stworzyła związki partnerskie. W 2004 roku GLAD po raz pierwszy w Stanach Zjednoczonych uzyskało prawo do zawarcia małżeństwa dla par jednopłciowych w swoim procesie. Goodridge przeciwko Departamentowi Zdrowia Publicznego. 

Następnie nastąpiło:

  • Maine approved domestic partnerships in 2004, which provided some of the protections of marriage
  • civil unions in Connecticut in 2005
  • Pozew GLAD, Kerrigan przeciwko Komisarzowi Zdrowia Publicznego, won marriage rights for Connecticut same-sex couples in 2008 
  • civil unions in New Hampshire in 2008
  • Vermont provides marriage for same-sex couples in 2009
  • Vermont no longer allows civil unions but does not convert its civil unions into marriage in 2009
  • marriage in New Hampshire in 2010
  • Connecticut converts all its civil unions into marriage in 2010
  • conversion of New Hampshire civil unions to marriage in 2011
  • civil unions in Rhode Island in 2011
  • marriage in Maine in 2012
  • marriage in Rhode Island in 2013
  • civil unions in Rhode Island ended in 2013, but existing civil unions were not converted into marriage

Na szczeblu federalnym Kongres uchwalił Ustawa o ochronie małżeństwa (DOMA) in 1996. DOMA was a preemptive attack on same-sex couples stating that if same-sex couples were ever allowed to marry, the federal government would not recognize those marriages. On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Stany Zjednoczone przeciwko Windsor stwierdził, że ustawa DOMA jest niezgodna z konstytucją, a pary jednopłciowe po raz pierwszy mogą ubiegać się o świadczenia federalne.

Na koniec w Obergefell przeciwko Hodgesowi26 czerwca 2015 r. Sąd Najwyższy Stanów Zjednoczonych urzeczywistnił równość małżeństw w całym kraju, orzekając, że Konstytucja Stanów Zjednoczonych gwarantuje parom tej samej płci prawo do zawarcia małżeństwa. Mary Bonauto z GLAD reprezentowała powódki podczas rozprawy ustnej. Obergefellwszystkie 50 stanów jest zobowiązanych do wydawania licencji małżeńskich parom tej samej płci, a wszystkie stany muszą respektować małżeństwa par tej samej płci zawarte w innych jurysdykcjach.

Can same-sex couples marry in Massachusetts?

Yes. In an historic decision, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled on November 18, 2003, that same-sex couples have the right to civil marriage in Massachusetts. The holding in GLAD’s case, Goodridge przeciwko Departamentowi Zdrowia Publicznego, was the first of its kind in this country by a state high court. Marriages began to take place in Massachusetts on May 17, 2004. For information about how to get married in Massachusetts, see: Getting Married in Massachusetts | Mass.gov.

Czy inne stany i rząd federalny uszanują moje małżeństwo?

Tak. Obergefell przeciwko Hodgesowi decision guarantees that all states and the federal government must treat same-sex married couples identically to different-sex married couples. That means that all the protections, rights, and obligations that states and the federal government provide to different-sex married couples must also be provided to same-sex married couples. 

Does Massachusetts respect civil unions and registered domestic partnerships from other states?

Yes. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that Massachusetts courts must give the same respect to civil unions and registered domestic partnerships as marriages, with rights and obligations functionally identical to marriage.

Czy mogę otrzymać świadczenie z Ubezpieczeń Społecznych dla osób pozostających przy życiu, jeśli mój współmałżonek umrze?

Tak, ponieważ, jak wspomniano powyżej, pary jednopłciowe mają prawo do wszystkich świadczeń przysługujących parom różnopłciowym.

Jednakże do czasu Obergefell przeciwko Hodgesowi decision on June 26, 2015, many same-sex couples lived in states where unconstitutional marriage laws prevented same-sex couples from getting married. So when their spouse passed away, they could not meet the Social Security survivor benefit condition of having been married for nine months.

Aby naprawić tę niesprawiedliwość, Lambda Legal złożyła dwa pozwy, Ely przeciwko Saulowi I Thornton przeciwko Komisarzowi ds. Ubezpieczeń Społecznych, i udało mu się uzyskać możliwość ubiegania się o świadczenia dla par tej samej płci w ramach Ubezpieczeń Społecznych dla osób pozostających przy życiu, które nigdy nie zawarły związku małżeńskiego (Ely przeciwko Saulowi) or were finally able to marry but were married less than nine months when their spouse passed away (Thornton przeciwko Komisarzowi ds. Ubezpieczeń Społecznych). 

These two rulings allow same-sex couples to apply because discriminatory state laws excluded them from marriage, and consequently were not eligible to apply for Social Security survivor benefits. However, the success of that application rests on providing enough documentation to prove to Social Security that they did not meet the nine-month requirement only because of the discriminatory state laws.

The following link gives more detailed information and has FAQs for each lawsuit, and lists some of the ways you might be able to provide the documentation needed to qualify for the survivor benefit: Informacje dla żyjących partnerów tej samej płci i małżonków, którzy wcześniej byli wykluczeni z zasiłków dla osób pozostających przy życiu z powodu niekonstytucyjnych przepisów stanowych dotyczących małżeństwa | Lambda Legal. 

Co się stanie, jeśli będziemy musieli zakończyć nasze małżeństwo?

Po Obergefell przeciwko Hodgesowi, same-sex spouses everywhere can dissolve their marriages on the same terms as different-sex spouses. Massachusetts explicitly applies its divorce statutes to same-sex couples.

However, spouses should note that when Massachusetts courts divide marital property and award alimony, one of the factors a judge considers is length of marriage. Unfortunately for spouses whose partnership pre-dates marriage equality, the length of the marriage may not accurately reflect the true length of the relationship, resulting in an unbalanced division of assets. With regards to alimony, Massachusetts courts may (but are not required to) consider a couple’s premarital cohabitation if there is evidence of economic partnership. If you are going through divorce proceedings in Massachusetts and believe your division of assets may be unfairly affected by the length of the marriage, contact GLAD Answers for referrals to attorneys in GLAD’s Lawyer Referral Service.

What steps can a couple take to legally safeguard their relationship in Massachusetts?

Various legal documents can protect a couple’s relationship, regardless of whether the couple has no formal legal relationship or is already in a marriage.

  1. Umowa lub kontrakt o związku: A couple has the option of drafting a written cohabitation agreement, outlining their respective rights with regards to property, finances, and other aspects of their relationship. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has held that ordinary rules of contract law generally enforce and respect these agreements. Although such agreements may concern the custody and support of children, a court will not uphold any agreement it finds to go against the child’s best interests. Finally, couples should note that if they eventually marry, a previous relationship agreement will likely no longer be valid, and any post-marital agreement will be enforceable only to the extent that it is fair and equitable to both parties.
  1. Pełnomocnictwo: A couple can choose to grant each other the durable power of attorney, allowing one partner to make financial decisions on the other’s behalf in the event of incapacity or disability. The requirements are minimal: any competent person may appoint another person as their “attorney-in-fact.” If no such appointment is made, a family member will be empowered to make decisions for the incapacitated individual.

If one partner is incapacitated or disabled, the other partner may petition the court to be appointed as their guardian to make decisions on their behalf. Unless good cause dictates otherwise, a court should grant guardianship to whoever has durable power of attorney over the incapacitated person. Thus, couples are encouraged to grant each other durable power of attorney if they believe guardianship will one day be necessary. It is important to note that a court can reject an individual’s choice only for good cause—a court should not substitute its own judgment just because a family member objects to the appointment.

  1. Health Care Proxy: A couple can also choose to appoint each other as health care proxies, allowing them to make medical decisions on one another’s behalf in the event of an emergency. Absent a health care proxy appointment, medical care providers look to next-of-kin to make health care decisions for an incapacitated individual. Thus, if an unmarried couple wants to make decisions for one another, they need a healthcare proxy. Healthcare proxies can be revoked at any time, either by creating a new healthcare proxy or by a clear expression of revocation. People often give a copy of the health care proxy to their doctors, and sometimes to family members. You can find a sample Health Care Proxy form here: Massachusetts Medical Society: Health Care Proxy Information and Forms.
  1. Będzie: Without a will, a deceased unmarried person’s property passes to (1) their children; (2) their family; (3) if next-of-kin cannot be located, to the state. A will is essential if a person wishes to provide for others, such as their partner. Even if a person has few possessions, they can name in the will who will administer their estate. If a person has children, they can also nominate the future guardian of the child in a will.
  1. Dokumenty dotyczące planowania pogrzebu: A person’s body is given to their next-of-kin upon death. This can mean that a person’s own partner has no right to remove the body or make plans for a final resting place. But if a person leaves explicit written directions giving another person (such as their partner or a friend) control over the funeral and burial arrangements, they can avoid confusion. Some people include these instructions as part of a will, but since a will may not be found for days after death, it is preferable to give the instructions to the person you want to take care of matters, as well as to family members.
  1. Testament życia: Within a health care proxy, the individual may insert language stating what the individual wishes about termination of life support, preferences for types of medical care, or limits on the agent’s authority.
  1. Temporary Agent or Guardianship: Parents, particularly those with life-threatening illnesses, may either appoint a temporary agent for a period not exceeding 60 days, or appoint a guardian whose appointment takes effect when the parent dies or cannot care for the child. Within 30 days after the appointment of a guardian, the guardian must petition the Probate and Family Court for confirmation of the appointment. The parent has the right to revoke the powers of the temporary agent or guardian at any point.

Czy potrzebuję prawnika, aby uzyskać te dokumenty?

GLAD zaleca współpracę z prawnikiem przy przygotowywaniu tych dokumentów.

Although forms are available, they may not be suited to your individual needs and wishes. Moreover, an attorney may be better able to help effectuate your goals, for example, by drafting a will in a way that is more likely to deter a will contest by unhappy family members, or an appointment of a health care agent with precise instructions. In addition, an attorney may help to navigate the legal uncertainties flowing from the areas of overlap between these documents. GLAD Answers can provide referrals to attorneys who are members of GLAD’s Lawyer Referral Service.

Jaki jest status prawny związku lub umowy/kontraktu partnerskiego w przypadku rozstania się pary, która nie jest w związku małżeńskim?

W przypadku separacji, jeśli para zawarła umowę/kontrakt o związku lub partnerstwie, jej postanowienia zostaną zastosowane, a majątek pary zostanie podzielony zgodnie z umową. Bez umowy pary niebędące w związku małżeńskim mogą być zmuszone do toczenia kosztownych i długotrwałych sporów sądowych o kwestie majątkowe i finansowe.

UWAGA: Jeśli zmieniłeś zdanie co do tego, kto powinien być Twoim „pełnomocnikiem”, przedstawicielem opieki zdrowotnej, beneficjentem lub wykonawcą testamentu, organizatorem pogrzebu, kuratorem lub osobą wyznaczoną na podstawie dokumentu wyznaczającego, wówczas te dokumenty powinny zostać odwołane — z powiadomieniem wszystkich osób, którym przekazano kopie tych dokumentów — i należy przygotować nowe dokumenty, które odzwierciedlają Twoje obecne życzenia.

Czym jest związek partnerski?

Although it is a term used in many contexts, “domestic partnership” most often means a status that recognizes an unmarried couple and their children as a family for certain limited purposes, most commonly employee benefits, like health insurance. Some employers still offer these benefits to unmarried couples, although many employers stopped offering these benefits once same-sex couples had the ability to marry.

Jakie rodzaje świadczeń dla partnerów domowych mogą oferować prywatni pracodawcy?

Private employers can provide many benefits to domestic partners, such as health insurance, family medical or bereavement leave, equal pension benefits, relocation expenses, or access to company facilities.

Even when employers provide these benefits, though, federal and state laws require different tax treatment of the benefits for domestic partners as compared to spouses. For example, an employee must pay federal and state income tax on the value of their partner’s health insurance benefits (unless the partner is a tax dependent), but a spouse does not. Partners do not qualify as spouses under federally-controlled Flexible Spending Accounts unless the partner is also a tax dependent.

As for pensions, under the Federal Pension Protection Act of 2006, employers may amend their 401(k) plans so that non-spouse beneficiaries may retain the asset as a retirement asset. If a plan is so amended, beneficiaries may “roll over” the 401(k) into an IRA depending upon the employee’s death. In contrast, previous law required the beneficiary to take and pay income taxes on the 401(k) as a lump sum.

However, other discriminatory aspects of federal law remain regarding pensions. A domestic partner has no right to sign off if their partner decides to name someone else as the beneficiary of a pension, although a spouse would have that right. In addition, a domestic partner has no right comparable to that of a spouse to sign off on their partner’s designation of another person for survivor benefits.

Jakich standardów powinny przestrzegać pary jednopłciowe z dziećmi, które się rozstają?

Pary jednopłciowe z dziećmi, które się rozstają, powinny:

  1. Support the rights of LGBTQ+ parents
  2. Honor existing relationships regardless of legal labels
  3. Honor the children’s existing parental relationships after the breakup
  4. Maintain continuity for the children
  5. Seek a voluntary resolution
  6. Remember that breaking up is hard to do
  7. Investigate allegations of abuse
  8. Not allow the absence of agreements or legal relationships to determine outcomes
  9. Treat litigation as a last resort
  10. Refuse to resort to homophobic/transphobic laws and sentiments to achieve a desired result

For more detailed information about these standards, visit Ochrona rodzin: standardy dla rodzin LGBTQ+.

W jaki sposób sąd zazwyczaj podejmuje decyzje w sprawie opieki nad dzieckiem?

When a married couple divorces, the parties are encouraged to make their own agreement about custody and visitation. If they can’t reach an agreement, a Superior Court judge will make a custody and visitation determination based on the child’s best interests. A court considers all relevant factors, keeping in mind a child’s growth, development, well-being, and the continuity and stability of their environment.

In all contested cases, the judge will appoint a family relations officer to investigate in order to help the judge arrive at a decision. The investigation can touch on matters of “parentage and surroundings of any child, [the child’s] age, habits and history, inquiry into the home conditions, habits, and characters of his parents or guardians and evaluation of his mental or physical condition.”

Czy istnieją różne rodzaje opieki?

Tak, cztery rodzaje:

  1. „Wyłączna opieka prawna” oznacza, że tylko jedno z rodziców ma prawo podejmować najważniejsze decyzje dotyczące życia dziecka, w tym dotyczące kwestii edukacji, opieki medycznej oraz rozwoju emocjonalnego, moralnego i religijnego.
  2. „Wspólna opieka prawna” oznacza, że oboje rodzice są zaangażowani w podejmowanie tych decyzji.
  3. „Wyłączna opieka fizyczna” means that a child lives with and is supervised by only one parent, subject to reasonable visitation with the other parent, unless a court finds that visitation is not in the child’s best interests.
  4. „Wspólna opieka fizyczna” oznacza, że dziecko mieszka z obojgiem rodziców w sposób zapewniający mu częsty kontakt z obojgiem.

Jeśli mam dziecko z byłego związku heteroseksualnego, a teraz jestem w związku z partnerem tej samej płci, czy mój były partner może wykorzystać moją orientację seksualną przeciwko mnie w postępowaniu o opiekę nad dzieckiem?

As stated above, Massachusetts courts base custody arrangements on the child’s best interests. Generally, a parent’s sexual orientation or marital status should not affect a child’s best interests.

Nevertheless, your former partner may try to argue that your sexual orientation is detrimental to your child. Many reasons can be cited, such as that the LGBTQ+ parent’s sexual orientation is causing other people to tease or ostracize the child, that the parent is a “bad role model,” or that the parent’s new partner is not “good” for the child. In the overwhelming majority of circumstances, these matters can be answered to the satisfaction of a judge in a way that does not penalize the gay parent or the child. Contact GLAD for further resources for dealing with such a situation.

Is it considered harm to the child if he or she is teased about having a gay or lesbian parent?

It shouldn’t be. One of the additional responsibilities of being a gay or lesbian parent is helping one’s children deal with this possibility or reality. Of course, others can tease children about everything from the size of their ears to their parents’ accent, to their lack of fashion sense. All parents need to help their children develop coping mechanisms and strategies when peer harassment arises.

Z prawnego punktu widzenia szczególnie pouczająca jest sprawa Sądu Najwyższego Stanów Zjednoczonych, Palmore przeciwko Sidoti, in which the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a Florida court’s change of custody from the mother to the father. The court switched custody because the white mother was involved with a Black man she later married. The Supreme Court acknowledged the reality of bias and prejudice and that others might tease the child. However, it refused to cater to those prejudices or give them the force of law by changing the previous custody arrangement. In a statement of constitutional principle applicable to all, the Court unanimously stated, “The Constitution cannot control prejudices, but neither can it tolerate them. Private biases may be outside the reach of the law, but the law cannot, directly or indirectly, give them effect.”

Czy ma znaczenie, że mój były mąż wiedział lub podejrzewał, że jestem osobą LGBTQ+, zanim się rozstaliśmy?

It may make a difference for future modification of court orders for custody. People can seek to modify court orders for custody when a change in circumstances alters the child’s best interests. Your former spouse may not have known your sexual orientation or gender identity at the time of the court proceedings but learned of it later. In that case, they may argue that this is a change of circumstances and that the custody issues should be litigated anew.

Oczywiście, gdyby jeden z małżonków lub były partner heteroseksualny wiedział o homoseksualnej orientacji seksualnej drugiego w momencie postępowania sądowego ustalającego opiekę, wniosek o zmianę orzeczenia na tej podstawie byłby bezcelowy.

Czy sąd może zabronić moim dzieciom odwiedzin pod nieobecność mojego partnera?

Ograniczenia odwiedzin są z natury podejrzane. Lawrence przeciwko TeksasowiSąd Najwyższy Stanów Zjednoczonych zrobił coś więcej niż tylko dekryminalizację aktów seksualnych. Uznał prawo osób homoseksualnych do tworzenia i podtrzymywania pełnych miłości relacji osobistych oraz prowadzenia życia prywatnego bez ograniczeń ze strony rządu i potępienia prawnego. Ponieważ osoby homoseksualne mogą podejmować „osobiste decyzje dotyczące… relacji rodzinnych [i] wychowania dzieci”, ograniczenia dotyczące opieki i odwiedzin muszą być odpowiednio traktowane. Same różnice w wartościach moralnych między sądem a rodzicem, domniemania dotyczące zachowania rodzica homoseksualnego czy „społeczne potępienie” ich związku nie powinny już być dopuszczalnymi czynnikami, o ile kiedykolwiek były.

Courts have the power to do this but should not do so unless it is clearly in the best interests of the child. Connecticut courts have rejected the notion that any particular lifestyle, in and of itself, will harm a child, and so will insist on specific proof.

Zasoby

Historia małżeństw osób tej samej płci w Stanach Zjednoczonych: Historia małżeństw osób tej samej płci w Stanach Zjednoczonych – Wikipedia. 

Massachusetts Law About Wills and Estates: Massachusetts law about wills and estates | Mass.gov. 

Rozwód: Divorce | Mass.gov. 

Child Custody and Parenting Time: Child Custody and Parenting Time | Mass.gov. 

Sprawy i orędownictwo

To see related GLAD cases or advocacy in Massachusetts, visit GLAD’s MA Family & Relationships Lub Rodzicielstwo Cases and Advocacy pages.

Wiadomości i komunikaty prasowe

To see news and press releases about Family in Massachusetts, go to GLAD’s MA Family News page.