FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2006

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 American Community Survey shows that 50.3% of households are headed by unmarried people. It also shows that 46.9% of people over age 15 are unmarried, and that 31.7% of children live in unmarried households.

Alternatives to Marriage Project Executive Director Nicky Grist says, "We celebrate these numbers because they should speed the emergence of policies and practices that are fair and reflect the true diversity of households. It's time for all levels of society to adapt to reality: stop penalizing people who don't conform to a rigid institution."

A few of the changes AtMP would like to see:

At the personal level – stop asking your unmarried friends and relatives "when are you going to get married?"

At the corporate level – start offering health insurance and other benefits to the domestic partners of all your unmarried employees, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

At the state level – don't amend your constitution to exclude unmarried relationships from legal recognition.

At the federal level – do pass the Uniting American Families Act, as a first step toward eliminating marital status discrimination from the family reunification immigration process.

About the Alternatives to Marriage Project:
The Alternatives to Marriage Project advocates for equality and fairness for unmarried people, including people who are single, those who choose not to marry, cannot marry, or live together outside of 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's Affirmation of Family Diversity has been signed by over 1,600 people. AtMP is a national nonprofit organization.

For further information, contact:
Nicky Grist, Executive Director: 718-788-1911
Jennifer Gaboury, Board Member: 917-804-4943