DAMN THAT'S GOOD CHICKEN!!! LOVE HONOR CHERISH@CHICK FIL A -HOLLYWOOD AND SUNSET

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It's 2012. We still don't have marriage equality in California or most of the country. So join us at 5 pm in Hollywood (the corner of Highland and Sunset by Lester F. Aponte

It's 2012. We still don't have marriage equality in California or most of the country. And we still aren't fully safe or respected even within our own communities. Chik-fil-A and the (surprisingly candid) statements by its executives in opposition to LGBT equality have reminded us that many, many people still oppose us, that people still think we're not okay.

Achieving real equality means not only court victories, but changing public opinion and making spaces safe for all people. And it means taking action now.

Focusing this battle on Chik-fil-A seems a bit strange, and standing in front of a Chik-fil-A and having a kiss-in may seem somewhat silly. But what's sillier is sitting and doing nothing. Or failing to recognize that what we are fighting for is the basic right to exist and go about our everyday lives, even to go to Chik-fil-A, and still be fully human. We just want to be respected, equal, and, yes, able to kiss our boyfriend or girlfriend, our husband or wife, in public without fear, the same way as everyone else.

The LGBT community and its straight allies still have within them the fire that was ignited when Prop 8 passed, the fire that sent us to the streets to demand equality.  We must continue to mobilize and deploy all resources for full equality everywhere. So join us at 5 pm in Hollywood (the corner of Highland and Sunset), kiss your loved one, and show the world that "IT'S TIME For Marriage Equality!" We'll have plenty of signs on hand to show your solidarity.

Married, domestic partnership or something else? by Gina Delvac via LOVE HONOR CHERISH

www.marketplace.org: Tess Vigeland: Soooo just a reminder here, in case you haven't heard: Your taxes are due Tuesday by midnight. Oh right, we already told you that. Well if you thought your taxes were complicated? For some Americans, just trying to figure out exactly what they are to the government is a task in and of itself.

Gina Delvac explains.

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Gina Delvac: It's probably the most straight forward part of the tax form. A choice of boxes: Single or married. Simple, right? Not if you happen to be in a same-sex marriage.

Leslie Schafer: The first thing that we've done -- which we've never done before -- is we hired an accountant, because we had absolutely no idea what to do.

Leslie Schafer got married in Connecticut in 2009. She and her spouse recently moved to Los Angeles.

Schafer: We are told by one person that we have a domestic partnership equivalent. But we're also told by someone else from the state who told us that it has no name. Literally, the state of California told us, no, your relationship has no name.

California wants her to file jointly, like a married couple. So checking the box on the state form is easy. But the federal paperwork makes her a liar, no matter which box she checks.

The Defense of Marriage Act means unions like hers have no legal status in the eyes of the federal government. And that means couples in those unions are not allowed to file jointly on their federal return even if they do for their state. That adds up to a lot of confusion -- and a lot of added expense.

Tom Watson organized a recent meeting for same-sex couples in Los Angeles trying to navigate these uncertain waters.

Tom Watson: Our tax returns are extremely expensive to do and extremely cumbersome. And we would much rather be treated fairly and equitably like all other couples that have been together for a long time. My partner and I have been together for 14 years.

The IRS is making some effort to acknowledge same-sex marriage. New rules in Nevada, California and Washington let partners to split their incomes over two returns. CPA David Paddock says, that makes the filing process even more complicated.

David Paddock: Well, actually, if you're in a relationship, you have to do a federal mock return for California, and then you have to do two federal returns, one for yourself and one for your partner. So you're really preparing three federal returns by the time you're done prepping all of your returns.

Until a solution emerges, gay couples will have to keep scratching their heads about how best to tell the truth on their taxes -- probably for a few Aprils to come.

In Los Angeles, I'm Gina Delvac for Marketplace