Contributing to the Rise of Single People: A Global Increase in Rates of Divorce

The rise of single people has become a world-wide phenomenon. That is happening despite the fact that marriage remains very popular in many places. Living single takes up greater stretches of adult life as people who do marry wait longer than ever before to marry for the first time. If they marry and divorce, they […]

What Kind of a Year was 2018 for Unmarried Americans?

I’d love to be able to proclaim that in 2018, the Equality for Unmarried Americans Act was passed. Of course, there is no such legislation, and in the 2018 political climate, even lesser goals may have been unrealistic. (There was some progress before 2017.) In other ways, though, 2018 was a good year for us. […]

Because of the ACA, Access to Health Insurance No Longer So Tightly Linked to Marital Status

For decades, advocates for unmarried Americans have been arguing that access to health insurance should not be linked to marital status. Obamacare weakened that link, and new research shows that the results have been positive. More unmarried Americans are insured than before the Affordable Care Act was implemented.

Congressional Representatives Least Likely to Support Trump’s Agenda Have Highest Proportion of Never-Married Constituents in Their Districts

One of the longstanding sources of frustration and disappointment among advocacy-oriented unmarried Americans is that political candidates rarely address us or promise to fight for us, the way they so often vow to stand up for married couples and traditional families. In their campaign materials, candidates who are married with children like to boast about […]

From Marriage as One-Stop Shopping to Creating Your Own Life, Piece by Piece

Adults in the 21st century have the opportunity to live radically liberating lives. For that, we have The Great Unraveling to thank.

Martin Duberman Explains Why Marriage Equality Was Too Small a Dream

Ah, marriage equality. Historian, pioneer of LGBTQ studies, and social-justice advocate Martin Duberman knows that a majority of LGBTQ people – or a majority of those who make their opinions known – cared about that issue. They wanted it on the agenda.

Why Politicians Will Eventually Start to Pay Attention to Singles: Guest Post by Craig Wynne

[Bella’s intro: In this guest post, Craig Wynne argues that even in these dire times, there are things we can do to create a more fair society for people who are not married. I hope he is right that change will happen, and maybe even sooner than he predicts.]

When You Hear “Success Sequence,” Think “Marriage Propaganda”

Want a formula for staying out of poverty? Conservatives such as Brad Wilcox and George Will have a favorite, with a catchy title and simple, 3-step process. It is their “success sequence.” Young adults, they believe, should be urged to pursue these three steps, in this order:

Unmarried Americans, Is It Wrong to Complain about the Small Stuff?

In matters of fairness for people who are not married, there are big things and small things and everything in between. If you care about social justice, the big stuff will be high on your list. But how should you approach the small stuff?

How Unmarried People Are Ignored Even by Those Who Should Be Paying Attention

The night before the California primaries earlier this month, I received a robocall urging me to support one of the candidates because she is a “fighter for children and families.” I emailed the candidate, telling her that I am a 64-year-old lifelong single woman with no kids, and it sounded like she did not even […]