Our Book Keeps on Trucking
Media Watch
Bookstore
Recent and Upcoming Workshops
Online
Sizziling Statistics
News From Around the World
Chocolate-Covered Thank Yous
We've changed the order of the e-announcements in response to some helpful
feedback from readers. This month you'll find news about the
organization's activities first, and national and international news at the
end. Let us know what you think!
Our Book Keeps On Trucking
Puffin Foundation Supports Book Project
Many of you know that we are at work on a book that will tell the stories
of people in unmarried relationships and provide resources. This month our
book got a wonderful boost from the Puffin Foundation: a grant to help us
pay for the costs of the interviews we've been doing. Puffin tries to
foster and encourage younger artists and writers, and those whose projects
might have difficulty finding funding because of the genre or social
philosophy. Thank you, Puffin!
Media Watch
Anti-Cohabitation Report, and Our Response
The National Marriage Project's conservative anti-cohabitation report,
released in early February, continued to get plenty of media attention.
Our letter to the editor about the story was published in the Daily
Southtown, a Chicago-area paper.
The entire report is posted online at
http://www.smartmarriages.com/cohabit.html
You can also read our press release condemning the report at
http://www.unmarried.org/pressreleases/cohabit.html
Quoted in Florida Newspaper
When Broward County, Florida passed inclusive domestic partner legislation
last month, we got a call from a reporter from the Fort Lauderdale paper
City Link. Her article, titled "Straightforward Thinking," addressed the
way in which domestic partner benefits are often portrayed as a gay issue
even though most people who benefit from them are heterosexual. The
article mentions ATMP and quotes co-founder Dorian Solot saying that equal
pay should not be linked to marital status.
Bookstore
Online Credit Card Ordering Available
You can now purchase online the two legal guides we recommend! To order
online, go to our resources page and
click on the book you want to order.
About the books:
The Living Together Kit: A Legal Guide for Unmarried
Couplesby Attorneys Toni Ihara and Ralph Warner is primarily for
male-female couples.
A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couplesby
Attorneys Hayden Curry, Denis Clifford, and Robin Leonard is primarily for
same-sex couples. People in unmarried relationships do not automatically
have the same legal rights and obligations that married couples do, but we
may still choose to own property together, designate each other as
beneficiaries in wills and insurance, and take on other legal
entanglements.
Both books are thorough and easy to read and use, allowing
you to choose which legal connections you want to take on, and which you do
not.
You can still order by mail, as well: send a check or money order made out
to ATMP ($24.95 per book -- shipping is free). Mail payment with your
mailing address to: ATMP, P.O. Box 991010, Boston, MA 02199.
Recent & Upcoming Workshops
Recent:
Oneonta, NY
As part of a Hartwick College student-organized conference, we gave a
workshop called "Freedom Rings, Wedding Rings: Exploring Queer
Relationships." We discussed the way in which heterosexual relationships
frequently follow a predictable path from dating to married life. Since
that path is often less automatic for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgendered people, we explored how people can create relationships that
work for them.
Boston, MA: June 13
We'll be speaking at the Ethical Society of Boston, a liberal religious and
educational fellowship without formal creed or dogma. Mark your calendars
for Sunday at 10:30 a.m. We'll post more information about our subject as
we get closer to the date.
The Future
It's always wonderful to continue the conversation about the issues facing
unmarried people with different groups around the country. We would love
to speak in your city or at an upcoming conference you know about! E-mail
or call us to discuss the possibilities.
Online
Announcing Unmarried.org
Our old, long web address is gone, replaced by the short and memorable
http://www.unmarried.org! In addition, our web page has a new look for
easier navigating. We welcome your feedback on our site -- please tell us
what you'd like to see on it.
Web Page in Spanish
Thanks to translator extraordinaire and web programmer Justin Fredrickson,
most of our web site is now available in Spanish! You can reach the
Spanish web page at espanol.html [sorry, no longer available]. Justin's
translation services are available for web and non-web projects -- he can
be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sizzling Statistics
In the U.S.:
According to the newly released Marital Status and Living Arrangements:
March 1998, a report of the Census Bureau:
- About 56% of all adult Americans are currently married and living with
their spouses.
- In 1997, the median age at the time of first marriage was 25 years for
women and
26.8 years for men. In 1970, people were marrying younger: the median age
for marriage for women was 20.8 years, and for men, 23.2 years.
- Nationally, there is nearly one divorce for every two marriages, according to
census data from 1996, the most current year available.
- On average, Americans are staying married longer. The median duration
of marriages ending in divorce has lengthened from 6.7 years in 1970 to 7.2
years in 1990, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.
- Generation Xers continue to get married. About half of them are married
now, and census projections indicate about two-thirds will be hitched by
2001, and 85% by 2010.
In the U.K.:
According to new government statistics about England and Wales:
- Half of all conceptions now take place outside marriage, compared with
just over a third in 1986.
- The rate of teenage pregnancies fell during the same period, while the
pregnancy rate of women over age 35 rose.
- About 1.56 million unmarried couples were living together in 1996, and it
is estimated that by 2006 less than half of all adults in England and Wales
will be married.
News From Around the World
Charges Dropped Against Married Couple in Pakistan
Two Pakistani lovers who married in secret against the wishes of the
woman's influential family were cleared of charges filed when they tried to
flee the country. The couple was arrested while preparing to board a plane
to the United States. She was charged with adultery and he was charged
with kidnapping. The woman's parents wanted her to marry a cousin, and
when they heard of her secret marriage to a man not of their choosing, they
claimed she had already married the cousin. Pakistani law does not bar
adults from marrying persons of their own choice. But in conservative
feudal and tribal systems -- which dominate most areas of the country --
women are often killed for marrying against the wishes of their parents.
Adultery in Pakistan is punishable by stoning to death under Islamic law.
In Vitro Fertilization for Unmarried Couples Advances in Italy
Italy's lower house voted to allow in vitro fertilization for married and
unmarried couples despite pressure from political parties with strong Roman
Catholic ties. A proposed law would have outlawed the use of any donor
sperm. The Vatican called the decision a vote against "normal families."
Although the Roman Catholic Church is opposed to all "artificial" forms of
procreation, it spoke out most strongly to oppose unmarried couples being
allowed to use the technology.
Alberta Canada Considers Definition for Common Law Relationships
The government of Alberta, Canada has proposed a law that would allow
common-law partners to seek support if their relationship failed. The
original bill defined a common-law union as "a relationship between two
people of the opposite sex" who have lived in a "marriage-like
relationship" for three years or who have a child and a relationship of
"some permanence." Many in the gay and lesbian community were angry about
being excluded from the bill, saying it would make it more difficult to
receive benefits equal to married or unmarried opposite-sex couples.
Recently the Liberal Party submitted a possible amendment to the bill that
would make it apply to both same and opposite-sex couples.
South Africa Bans Prison Marriages
South Africa's Correctional Services Department has banned marriages in
prison, causing a storm of controversy with human rights groups claiming
the ruling is unconstitutional. The ruling was made just hours before the
planned prison marriage of Janus Walus, who is serving life-term for
murdering South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani. The Department
said the timing of the decision was purely coincidental.
Virginia DP Policy Found Illegal
An Arlington, Virginia judge ruled that the county's policy of providing
health insurance benefits to its unmarried workers' same and opposite-sex
domestic partners is prohibited under state law. Two years ago, Arlington
became the first jurisdiction in Virginia to adopt a domestic partner
policy. The judge said that Virginia law does not give local governments
the authority to define "dependent" as including both married and unmarried
partners. The judge also said he was addressing a legal question, not a
moral or ethical one, and added that he hopes the county will appeal his
decision so the issue can be addressed by the Virginia
Supreme Court.
Michigan House Debates Re-Defining Marital Status
A recent court case found that unmarried couples are protected under
marital status non-discrimination laws, despite a landlord's claim that
renting to such couples is against his religious beliefs. The Michigan
House of Representatives is debating a bill that would change the
definition of "marital status" to exclude unmarried couples. Opponents of
the bill say it would strip away civil rights of millions of single people
in Michigan, including unmarried couples, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgendered people, and people in common law marriages.
Connecticut Town Admits Pool Policy Was Discriminatory
After more than a year of defending its criteria for offering discount pool
passes, town officials acknowledged that, in practice, the rules have been
applied unfairly. Officials said reduced rates for married couples with
children were intended to help children learn to swim, but they admitted
that married couples without children have also been receiving the lower
rates. Last year, several same and opposite-sex couples lodged formal
complaints. To remedy the situation, the town will now offer reduced-rate
swimming passes to any parent or legal guardian of a child younger than 21,
regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. There are still issues
left un-addressed, like what would happen in a family with a stepparent who
is not the child's legal guardian.
Florida County Faces Attack on DP Benefits
A conservative activist has filed a suit against the new Broward County law
that is about to create a registry for same and opposite-sex domestic
partners. The law would provide health insurance benefits, medical and
bereavement leave to the domestic partners of county employees. The
lawsuit alleges that the law violates Florida's ban on same-sex marriage.
Broward's Deputy County Attorney said he thinks the domestic partnership
ordinance will survive the lawsuit because it is written broadly so as not
to be confused with marriage.
DP News at University of Pittsburgh, University of Nevada
A former instructor at the University of Pittsburgh filed a lawsuit that
accusing the university of discriminating against her by denying health
benefits to her same-sex partner. The lawsuit, which is before the
Pittsburgh Human Relations Commission, argues that the denial of benefits
violated a city ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual
orientation. The university contends that City Council lacked authority to
pass the law because the state does not permit same-sex marriages. The
instructor's further contends that the university gives health benefits to
opposite-sex partners. However, the denied this, saying its denial of
health benefits is based on marital status, not sexual orientation.
Supporters of the lawsuit held rallies several times in late February.
The University of Nevada is considering a proposal that would provide
benefits to partners of employees. The university recently added sexual
orientation to its non-discrimination policy. Many gay and lesbian
employees fear that even if the benefits were implemented, "coming out" to
take advantage of them would jeopardize their jobs. The proposal would
have to be passed by many levels of university and state government in
order to be approved.
Berkeley, California Considers Requiring Contractors to Provide DPs
The first city in the nation to provide domestic partner benefits to its
employees may soon join San Francisco and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as the
only cities that require its contractors to do the same. The city council
unanimously directed attorneys to draft such legislation. If passed, the
new law would require firms doing business with the city (like builders and
street pavers) to extend benefits to domestic partners if they also grant
them to employees' spouses. The proposal enjoys widespread bipartisan
political support and is expected to pass easily.
National Press Club Adds DP Benefits
The National Press Club, a ninety-year-old Washington, D.C. journalists'
institution, has voted to allow domestic partners of unmarried same and
opposite-sex partners the same benefits available to spouses of married
members. The Club added the benefits in response to one potential member,
who told them he was interested in joining but wondered whether his
domestic partner was eligible for the same benefits as a "spouse." The
Club considered his request and changed their policy in response to it.
Alabama May Vote on Lifting Ban on Interracial Marriages
Alabama is the only state whose laws still prohibit interracial marriage.
A legislative panel recently agreed to let voters decide whether the time
has come to remove the ban. The measure first must be approved by the
House and Senate.
Doctors Do Well Marrying Doctors, Mormons Are Most Likely to Stay
Married
A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that
physicians who marry another physician work fewer hours, share more of the
child-rearing, are happier about their shared professional experiences.
A 1993 study published in Demography found that Mormons marrying other
Mormons are the least likely to divorce -- only 13% do in the first five
years of marriage. The rate is 20% among Catholics and Protestants, 27%
for Jews. Mormons are also significantly more likely to describe
themselves as Republicans and as conservatives than other Americans.
What we find most interesting about these studies is how differently they
are received than studies about cohabitors. Even if these studies are
true, few would advocate for a program to encourage doctors to marry other
doctors, or to convert Americans to the Church of the Latter Day Saints in
order to strengthen marriages. Similar (and problematic) studies that find
married people happier on average than cohabitors yield political movements
to encourage people to get married. One gets the sense that it has more to
do with politics than creating healthy relationships.
Chocolate-Covered Thank Yous
We send heartfelt thank-yous to those who continue to send in donations:
this month, Danita Appleman, Kim Chibou, Jim and Bonny Dattolo, Nancy
Saunders, Evan Solot, and Valerie Tobin and Luigi Ferrer. Our first
fundraising effort has now raised over $1000.
Many thanks to the Puffin Foundation for believing in and supporting our book.
If you'd like to help us create a society in which diverse relationships
are supported and valued, we'd appreciate your support. Make out your
check to ATMP and mail it to P.O. Box 991010, Boston, MA 02199. Thank you!
