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AtMP at Ten

How Our Baby Has Grown! By Dorian Solot & Marshall Miller

We launched AtMP as a couple of twenty-somethings frustrated with the pressure to get married, angry about the discrimination we experienced, and surprised at the total lack of information about unmarried relationships. ...

Friends Who Never Quit By Shannon Carlin

AtMP relies on the commitment of its members to help evoke change. Many AtMP supporters are in it for the long haul. Meet a few members of the nine- and ten-year-club...

Opinions

Marriage is Not the Only Way to Commit Opinion-by-Foster-phd.html By Elissa Foster, PhD

As a scholar and teacher of interpersonal communication, I am increasingly sensitive to the lack of inclusiveness within our research articles and interpersonal communication textbooks. ...

Commitment Ceremonies: Imagining Alternatives By Jaclyn Geller ♦web only♦

In 1838, at the age of twenty-nine, the British scientist Charles Darwin was contemplating wedlock. Recording his views on a sheet of paper, he created two columns: Marry and Not Marry. ...

Letters to the Editors: Are Single Women in India Really Happier? ♦web only♦

In response to an article in the last issue of AtMP Update (Single Women in India: Rarer, Riskier, and Happier Than in the U.S. by Kay Trimberger), Rajiv noted that a "bride is under constant pressure to not only please the husband but to bring happiness to the entire family," Chitra described "the irony of being an Indian," and Kay responded with more information. Read their comments and add your own through the unmarried blog.

Activism in Brief

Registering and Voting in a Historic Election

Unmarried people helped shape the outcome of November's national, state and local elections - and AtMP helped them do it! Fourteen AtMP members became new voters by registering to vote through our website. Thirteen volunteers joined executive director Nicky Grist to phone 1,110 fellow AtMP members to encourage them to register in October and remind them to vote in November - many thanks to Dorian & Marshall, Elaine, Eva, Gail, Lourdes, Jessica, John, Rachel, Rajiv, Richard, Sarah, and Shari! Over 50 members voiced their hopes and concerns about the issues, which we compiled in a special report that we distributed to the media.

Volunteers Who Worked Wonders in 2008 ♦web only♦

In 2008, over 200 AtMP members lent their time, skills and voices to AtMP's operations, projects and advocacy efforts. Click here to see who they are and how much we love them!

AtMP News and Notes

Two Ways to Make AtMP Work Better for You

Did you know that you can manage your AtMP membership onlin e? For example, if this HTML newsletter doesn't look great when it reaches your email system, you can switch to a plain text version. If we're calling you "Supporter," you can tell us your name. You can also offer to volunteer, change your address, or tell us what topics most interest you. Just set up a password, log in, and update your profile as often as you like.

Did you know that AtMP is funded almost entirely by members like you? How fast we move towards fairness and equality for all unmarried people depends on how much time you volunteer and money you donate. Please become a contributing member today!

About this Newsletter

* Editorial Board: Julie Bluhm, Alison Hatch

* Print layout and graphic design: Rebecca Levine

* Web layout: Jessica Gafkowitz, Nicky Grist

* Articles with by-lines are the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily represent AtMP.

* To start, stop, or change a subscription, send us a note or call 718-788-1911.

* Back issues of Update are available in PDF form.

* Don't just read about alternatives to marriage - talk back! AtMP hosts a blog , a virtual book group, and an email discussion list. Click here to join the conversation .

About the Alternatives to Marriage Project

AtMP advocates equality and fairness for unmarried people, including people who are single, choose not to marry, cannot marry, or live together before marriage. We provide support and information for this fast-growing constituency, fight discrimination on the basis of marital status, and educate the public and policymakers about relevant social and economic issues. We believe that marriage is only one of many acceptable family forms, and that society should recognize and support healthy relationships in all their diversity. AtMP is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.