Congresswoman Lee Celebrates the Passage of the PRIDE Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the passage of the PRIDE Act, which amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for equal treatment of same-sex married couples, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, founding member and Vice-Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, released the following statement:
“In passing the PRIDE Act, we celebrate our diversity and correct a wrong against same-sex couples across the country who have been denied tax refunds merely because of who they are and the person that they love.
“Over the past decade, our nation has made tremendous progress against hatred, exclusion, bigotry, violence, and discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community. By eliminating gendered language that discriminates against same-sex couples in our tax code, we are putting money directly back into the pockets of the people who have earned it.
“Advancing the PRIDE Act is a critical step in bringing our nation closer to an equal society for all, and I thank all my colleagues on their work to bring this bill forward ‘for the people.’"
About the Pride Act: The Pride Act revises and modernizes the tax code and affirms the dignity of all married couples by allowing married same-sex couples to file claims for credits and refunds related to a change in their marital status back to their year of marriage. The Act also amends the tax code so that provisions that apply to married couples use gender-neutral language.
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