Grammy award winning musician - Melissa Etheridge is also a gay-rights activist and committed environmentalist.  But, ever since California voters nixed gay marriages as unconstitutional,  she has donned the new role of tax protester.

Parent of twins with her partner - actress Tammy Lynn Michaels, Etheridge says passing Proposition 8 means other gay couples do not have to pay the state Franchise Tax Board.  She bases this conviction on the grounds that the passing of Proposition 8 means that 51% of the people consider a gay person like her to be a second class citizen.  Further, since she is not a complete citizen, she does not have to pay state taxes, as it would be terribly mean not to give her the same rights and then insist on taxing her.

Etheridge and her wife / roommate / girlfriend / special lady friend Tammy Lynn Michaels met back in 2001, and held a wedding ceremony in Sept. 2003 in Malibu, California, planning to get legally getting married later this year.  In 2005, Etheridge committed to Michaels, who gave birth to their twins in 2006.  Before Michaels, Etheridge had a long-term partnership with Julie Cypher, who in the late 1990s gave birth to two children.

However, with Obama in the White House Etheridge is not giving up hope on same sex marriages, evident from the statement she made during Madonna’s concert last night.  To quote her verbatim: “Sorry to hear we didn’t win on Prop 8, but don’t give up the fight.  If, we can have an African American in the White House then when we can have gay marriages.”