1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Okay, this is Sanny and Samantha and welcome to stuff 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: I never told you productive I Heeart Radio. 3 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 2: And we are kicking Disability Pride Month off. Yes, y'all, 4 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 2: July first, we have begun with a bang for our 5 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 2: activists around the world and doing it a bit different 6 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 2: because we want to talk about a reintroduced bill from 7 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 2: California Representative Jimmy Panada and the woman who inspired this act, 8 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 2: Lori Long, which is titled the Marriage Equality for Disabled 9 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 2: Adults Act. So if you want more information, you can 10 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 2: actually go take a lesson to our past episode that 11 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 2: Annie led on about marriage and disability, which we do 12 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 2: mention Representative Panada and his bill when he first introduced it, 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: but you know, signed for an update, and I'm not 14 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 2: going to tell you much because there's not much of 15 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 2: an update except for the fact that he reintroduced it 16 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 2: because it just kind of sat there. So all that 17 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: to say, let's talk about Lori Long, a disabled woman 18 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: who resides in California. She met her partner Mark when 19 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 2: she was in her forties and it was doing this 20 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 2: relationship she was able to make it through all the 21 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: trials and tribulations that is called dating. If you know, 22 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: you know, and surviving that. They knew they wanted to 23 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 2: be married and spend their lives together as a married couple. 24 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: But of course, because we can't have nice things and 25 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 2: people are not allowed to have autonomy, they knew this 26 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 2: would be complicated, especially with her disability benefits. Literally, she 27 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 2: would lose it benefits that she has received since she 28 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 2: was a child due to her autoimmune condition known as 29 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 2: ankylosing spondylitis. As we talked about before, benefits like DAK 30 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: or Disabled Adult Child and SSI would be eliminated due 31 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 2: to the marriage penalty. This is from a twenty twenty 32 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 2: four article written in today dot com about long story. 33 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 2: Shout out to them because I'm a quote them a 34 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: little bit. The policies regulating disabled adult children only allow 35 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 2: for marriage if someone marries another adult, disabled child or 36 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: someone receiving Social Security because of disability or retirement of 37 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 2: Allah says who is a contributor. If they marry someone 38 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: who does not receive DAK or SSI, they lose their benefits. Yeah, 39 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 2: and it isn't just these benefits specifically, but also their 40 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: Medicaid could be at risk as well. So we wanted 41 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 2: to note that and here's a bit from their interview 42 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: an article about Long. They say, growing up, Long was 43 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,119 Speaker 2: diagnosed with enklosing spondylitis, an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation 44 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 2: in the joints in the spine. According to the National 45 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 2: Institute of Arthritis and Muscular, Skeletal and Skin Diseases, it 46 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 2: causes pain and stiffness as people lose flexibility in their spine. 47 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 2: People with it often develop problems with their gut, skin conditions, 48 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 2: eye diseases, and even bladder problems. It affects my daily 49 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: life and daily activities, Long says, and yet we talked 50 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 2: about in our episode, not many people understand about these 51 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 2: restrictions or that it even exists. Going back to this article, 52 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 2: they say, so few people understand the restrictions on marriage 53 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: that when Long called her local Social Security office to 54 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 2: check if she would lose her benefits, the person who 55 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 2: answered the phone and accurately reassured her. They told me, oh, honey, 56 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:17,679 Speaker 2: of course you can get married. You're not going to 57 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 2: suddenly become not disabled when you get married. Long recalls, 58 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 2: after chatting with a friend, she called back and asked 59 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 2: for a specialist in the marriage rules. She said, oh, 60 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 2: I'm so sorry, they must have not realized your status. 61 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 2: If it's regular Social Security disability insurance, you can marry 62 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 2: whoever you want and keep your disability insurance and healthcare, 63 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 2: Long says, But if you're a disabled adult child on 64 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 2: a parent's work record, you're limited as to who you 65 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 2: can marry. And by the way, all of this includes 66 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 2: the fact that when she was a child being diagnosed, 67 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 2: her father's insurance dropped her. So they were like what 68 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 2: was going on and had to apply for it anyways. 69 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 2: So not only did they try to take care of 70 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: it on their own insurance, they were not allowed. By 71 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 2: the way, it was illegal at the time, but no 72 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 2: one cared, No one really stood up for their rights. Again, 73 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 2: we talk a lot about this in this episode that 74 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,839 Speaker 2: was previously recorded, and he did all that research, thank 75 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 2: you very much. And with the restrictions and roadbox, Long 76 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: had the courage to contact her then a local congress person, Rep. Panetta. 77 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: Now I think she also contacted her local state congress person, 78 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 2: but they were like, no, this is bigger than just 79 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 2: the local, We need this to be federal, so they 80 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 2: went higher up. So Long has been rallying and advocating 81 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 2: for herself at the same time as trying to get 82 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 2: this done through federal policies and with a disabled community. 83 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: She actually talks about how she wishes she didn't have to, 84 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 2: but she literally does not know what else to do 85 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: because it has impeded her life essentially. And again from 86 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 2: Today dot com, they write, in September twenty twenty three, 87 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 2: Long helped organize a rally, a mass commitment ceremony that 88 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 2: took place in Washington, DC. Participants called attention to the 89 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 2: restrictions disabled people face and advocated for marriage equality. I 90 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 2: said we need to start having protests out in front 91 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,119 Speaker 2: of the Capitol and have a mock ceremony. Long says, 92 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 2: it was a great ceremony. We had a lot of 93 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 2: wonderful people there. Love that kudos. So it was on 94 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,559 Speaker 2: Valentine's Day of this year, twenty twenty five that Reped 95 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 2: Panetta reintroduced the bill. So from his site Panetta dot 96 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 2: House dot gov, they write, under current law that beneficiaries 97 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 2: more than one million Americans with lifelong disabilities lose their 98 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: Social Security and Medicaid benefits if they marry a non 99 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 2: disabled person. This antiquated rule strips individuals of their financial 100 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 2: and health care security. Simply because they wish to build 101 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 2: a life with their partner. The Marriage Equality for Disabled 102 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 2: Adults Act would repeal this unjust penalty and ensure that 103 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 2: disabled individuals are not punished for choosing to marry. Which, 104 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 2: by the way, the riot has been pushing everybody, y'all 105 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 2: need to get married. But we know it's about eugeniks 106 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 2: so moving on and in that side, he is quoted 107 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 2: with this, No Americans should have to choose between their 108 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 2: happiness and their healthcare, said Reponetta. By reintroducing this legislation, 109 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: we are standing up for the fundamental right to marry 110 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: without fear of losing essential benefits. Every person, no matter 111 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 2: their circumstances, deserves the dignity and freedom to build a 112 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 2: life with their needed benefits and the person they love. 113 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 2: And by the way, he does lean into like everyone 114 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 2: equal marriage love is love type of thing. So just 115 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 2: in case you were wondering, the Act includes that several 116 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 2: key provisions, again from his site. One eliminates the requirement 117 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 2: that a dakficiary remain unmarried to receive Social Security benefits. 118 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 2: Two ensures that DAK benefits are not revoked upon marriage. 119 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: Three modifies Social Security's rules regarding common law marriages, which 120 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 2: by the way, we talked about for protects SSI and 121 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,679 Speaker 2: Medicaid eligibility for Dax who marry a non disabled person. 122 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 2: So of course Long is hopeful and is waiting. Here's 123 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: a quote provided to Monterey countynow dot com, who, by 124 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 2: the way, writes a few things about her and really 125 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 2: really like is behind her and supports her. She says, 126 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 2: it feels like the world is going full on chaotic 127 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 2: and taking time to celebrate love may seem silly or 128 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 2: even a little selfish. Long sins by text that having 129 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 2: been said, matters of the heart continue to matter, even 130 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 2: though meaning in the disability community feel like we have 131 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 2: front row seats to the chaos. So obviously she's talking 132 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: about the many layers and layers that has happened which 133 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 2: their rights are being just trampled on on a constant basis. 134 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: But this has been something that needed to be fixed 135 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 2: from jump. Let's just be real honest, and I know 136 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 2: again Annie has some amazing research listeners who have sent 137 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 2: this in as a request. We know that y'all have 138 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 2: been following this closely. We thank you again for bringing 139 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 2: stuff like this to our attention because this is the 140 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 2: intersectionality of it all. We need to have this conversation. 141 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: And also kudos to the representative who is trying to 142 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 2: push this forward and not allowing it just to sit. 143 00:07:55,720 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: Yes. Absolutely, Thank you so much listeners for bringing this 144 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: to our attention and all kinds of resources that you 145 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: send us. Please keep that coming. If you would like 146 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: to contact us, you can email us at Hello at 147 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: stuff Whenever Told You dot com. You can find us 148 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: on Blue Sky at molstuf podcast, or on Instagram and 149 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: TikTok at stuff I Never Told You. We're also on 150 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: YouTube and we have a book you can get wherever 151 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: you get your books. Thanks sis too, our super dis 152 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: Christine or executive christ for my and your contributor Joey. 153 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: Thank you, Thanks you for listening Stuff Never Told You 154 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: Structure I Heart Radio For more podcast from my Heart Radio, 155 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: you can check out the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts wherever 156 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shops.