The High Cost of Being Single
Topic:
In October 2009, New York Times reporters Tara Siegel Bernard and Ron Lieber compared a hypothetical married couple with an equivalent-earning unmarried gay couple, to see just how much difference those extra privileges made. Here's what they found: In our worst case, the couple's lifetime cost of being gay was $467,562. But the number fell to $41,196 in the best case for a couple with significantly better health insurance, plus lower taxes and other costs. This is unfair. The solution? Bernard and Lieber argue that "the federal government [should legalize] same-sex marriage." But in fact, legalizing gay marriage only solves the problem for a few. Many more single people (gay and straight)—more than half of the population—continue to suffer from institutionalized singlism, the discrimination of individuals based on marital status.
Readings:
High Price of Being Single: Link to Reading
State of our Unions 2010: Download the pdf report on this website: Link to Reading
Discussion Questions:
Do you agree that institutionalized singlism exists and is an unfair practice?
What are your views on marriage as a “social good” with changing attitudes towards the institution and demographics around it?
What do you think are the greatest pros and cons of repealing tax benefits for married couples and how do you think that will greatly influence social and economic trends going forward?
As the State of our Unions article suggests, do you think this is a problem restricted to Middle America or do you believe this is a larger issue beyond social classes and even borders?
