Ways to be Unmarried
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| GLBT |
| Polyamory |
| MarriageFree & Boycott |
| Parents & Children |
| Commitment Ceremonies |
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| Fall 2003 |
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Alternatives to Marriage Project Update:
In this issue: New! Funny Unmarried T-Shirts, Mugs, Bumper Stickers Tired of people asking why a nice person like you isn't married? Let our t-shirts, coffee mugs, and bumper stickers give your snappy answer for you. AtMP merchandise is now for sale in the AtMP Store. Slogans cover varied moods from "Don't Marry, Be Happy" to "I would marry, but I don't approve of the lifestyle." Prefer a more understated message? Items are available that simply sport the Alternatives to Marriage Project logo. Shirt and mugs make great holiday gifts! All proceeds benefit the work of the Alternatives to Marriage Project. (Many thanks to Alicia Sauer and Penelope Miller for product design, and Luke Mechem for design and store launching.) Note that while AtMP wanted to create a line of funny merchandise, in response to numerous requests from our supporters, not every slogan represents the organization's position. Connect with Other AtMPers at NCFR Conference
Do you plan to attend the National Council on Family Relations Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 19-22? Executive Director Dorian Solot will be presenting a paper entitled, "I Don't (At Least Not Now): A Qualitative Exploration of the Reasons Cohabiting Couples Delay marriage or Never Marry." AtMP will hold an informal lunch or social gathering during the conference as a chance for friends and supporters to mingle and meet Dorian. If you'd like to join in, please contact us so we can include you in the plans. Boston Mailing Party Volunteers Needed AtMP volunteers are needed for a mailing party in downtown Boston during both the afternoon and evening of Thursday, December 4th. You provide your good company and folding, stuffing, and sealing skills; we'll provide our gratitude, along with free pizza and drinks; and the fundraising appeal we mail will help fund AtMP's work. Feel free to bring your favorite CDs and/or to invite friends or significant others who'd like to help. Please RSVPfor location details and to help us estimate food quantities. AtMP Seeking New Board Members Are you passionate about supporting family diversity and fighting discrimination against unmarried people? Would you like to join like-minded activists in charting the future of the Alternatives to Marriage Project, and ensuring its success? AtMP is accepting applications from prospective new board members on an ongoing basis and welcomes interested candidates to fill out our application form. See our Prospective Board Members page to read more about the role of an AtMP board member and fill out an application. We Want Your Photos for AtMP Materials and Website A picture's worth a thousand words when it comes to displaying thriving unmarried people and their families. We welcome you, AtMP supporters of all ages and races, to send photos of yourself with your family of choice. All family photos are welcome, whether you are single, part of a community of close friends; in a same-sex or different-sex partnership; parent, grandparent, or caretaker to a biological or adopted child; or whether your family takes some other form. We can accept photos in a digital (preferably high resolution) format or as prints that we'll scan and return (include your address). Thank you in advance for allowing us to show off you and your family! Write for Our Website and Newsletter! We invite you to contribute your to our online community by submitting short pieces for our soon-to-be-unveiled new and improved website, and for this newsletter. If you'd like to be on our list of writers (we'll email you occasionally with story ideas, to ask if there are any you'd be willing to write), send us an email! You are also welcome to submit short pieces for the following sections:
Please keep your articles short, 300-600 words. Send submissions to editor Karen Sosnoski here. Unfortunately, we will not be able to publish all submissions. Selected submissions may be subject to editing. Thanks for lending your voice! Download New Brochure & Annual Report Thanks to the pro bono design of Monique Sidy, AtMP has a new brochure that features many AtMP friends, supporters and their families. A downloadable version is available online. Also, check out our 2002 annual report. NYC Houseparty a Record-Breaker Last month, about 70 people ate, drank, and made merry at AtMP's largest and most successful fundraising houseparty to date. Planning is underway for upcoming parties in Boston (Feb. 7) and Washington, D.C. (date to be announced). If you'd like to host a party in your area, we'll help! Email us. If you want to make sure you hear about any parties in your area, but you don't usually get postal mail from us, we may not know where you live. Send us your mailing address to be sure you'll receive an invitation! AtMP in the Media AtMP staff, board members, and volunteers continue to be busy sharing their stories and perspectives with the media!
USA Today Features AtMP Families
O'Reilly Celebrates Marriage Protection Week with AtMP
Other AtMP's media appearances in the last quarter included:
Print Media:
Radio:
Online: You can read some of these articles:
Quick Q & A: Domestic Partners Driven to Frustration Question: When my partner and I rent a car for a long trip, we like to list both of us as drivers so we can take turns driving. We usually have to pay extra to list a second driver on the rental policy, but married couples don't have to pay this surcharge. Is there anything we can do? Answer: Yes, renting cars is still one area where discrimination on the basis of marital status is still alive and well. But there are at least a few companies that are friendly to domestic partners. Read the rest of the answer! Have a question you'd like to get answered in a future issue? Email it to us. News Highlights Domestic Partners Gain Rights in CA California will expand legal protections for registered domestic partners in that state, granting couples rights in areas such as family care leave, child custody, property ownership, gift/estate tax exemptions, and making arrangements in the event of a partner's death. Domestic partnership in California is available to same-sex couples and different-sex couples if at least one partner is 60 or older. The expanded rights will take effect January 1, 2005. Partners will still lack many rights granted to married couples, including filing for joint tax returns, and Social Security, Medicare and veterans' benefits. PA Court Ends Common Law Marriage
In September, a court in Pennsylvania ended that state's recognition of common law marriage. Common law marriages formed before September 2003 will still be recognized as marriages, but no new marriages may be created. Legislative First: Voters Create DP Registry Voters in Cleveland Heights, OH approved the creation of a domestic partner registry in that city, making it the first municipality in the country to create a registry with a citizen-driven ballot initiative. In the past, many strategists thought it was unlikely voters would approve such a registry, so existing registries have been created through the legislature. The Cleveland Heights registry is open to both same-sex and different-sex couples, and activists are hoping to use the same strategy in other municipalities around the country. Read more about domestic partner registries. Same-Sex Marriage Battles Continue The movement to legalize civil marriage for same-sex couples continues to make advances and suffer setbacks. In October, conservative groups launched a federally supported "Marriage Protection Week" focused on continuing to exclude same-sex couples from marriage. In November, conservative activists began announcing their plans to replace abortion with same-sex marriage as a key campaign tool in the 2004 elections. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts is still expected to rule any day on a lawsuit that could make that state the first to recognize same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, a proposed anti-same-sex marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution has gained 92 bipartisan co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. The amendment could do substantial harm to different-sex couples as well as same-sex ones, since it would prevent unmarried couples from receiving "the legal incidents of marriage" (such as domestic partner benefits). If passed, it would be the first amendment to the Constitution that would deny rights, rather than expanding them. Opinion Boosting "Marriageability" -- A Tool for Family Diversity Activists? by Dorian Solot Earlier this year, I attended a conference where a speaker was talking about government funded programs to promote marriage and stable families. One of the goals she discussed for these programs was to increase the "marriageability" of poor, disadvantaged unmarried people. My gut response was to laugh. The government is going to fund programs designed to increase marriageability? Would the Department of Health and Human Services hire dating consultants and pay for matchmaking services? But as I listened to this policy expert describe marriageability programs, I stopped laughing. Read the rest of this article. |
