Dear Prudence, My boyfriend and I (same-sex relationship) have been together a few years. Last spring he lost his job and decided to go back to school. I added him onto my health insurance, which required an affidavit saying that we were in a long-term, committed relationship and were denied the ability to legally marry to qualify for spousal benefits. In that affidavit there was a clause that stated if marriage became a legal option we would have to get married within six months to keep the benefits. In October marriage equality reached our state and I asked him when he wanted to start planning our wedding. He said he wasn’t sure he still wanted to, which was a complete surprise to me. He said he loves me and doesn’t want our relationship to change, but he’s not ready to legalize our relationship. I don’t want to force him into anything, but now we have this deadline of either getting married or losing his insurance. Any suggestions?
—Not a Groom
Dear Not, Now that marriage equality is becoming the norm, it’s inevitable that “When are you marrying me?” equality is just behind. Your dilemma is compounded by the absurdity of a health care system in which access is tied to employment. You signed an affidavit stating that if marriage became available, you two would become husband and husband in order to keep your low co-pay and in-network discount. Ah, the romance! It’s kind of amusing to think of those who outwardly cheered the Supreme Court’s recent decision that will allow same-sex marriage to expand, while inwardly thinking, “But I’m not ready!” You two should grapple with this question for reasons deeper than your employee benefit package. If your partner is a full-time student, his university might offer health insurance, and he should also look into your state’s health care exchange. You want him to feel in his heart that he’s ready to marry you, not that he’s doing it because he feels there’s something wrong with his heart and he can't afford to see a cardiologist unless he says, “I do.”
__________________
The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
When it was convenient for them to lie about their "commitment" (something not available to hetero couples)--they had no trouble doing so. Now they got caught in their lie. Too damn funny.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
Meh. I have heard of similar situations happening with hetero couples here. One want to get married to get on the SO's insurance, the other doesn't want to, etc. I think it is silly.
And this is why insurance shouldn't cover live ins.
__________________
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
Meh. I have heard of similar situations happening with hetero couples here. One want to get married to get on the SO's insurance, the other doesn't want to, etc. I think it is silly.
Right. The LW's situation is not one of being straight or gay, it's about being used for the insurance and allowing themselves to be used. I think people may realize that "little piece of paper" represents a whole lot more than they care to let on.
__________________
Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Meh. I have heard of similar situations happening with hetero couples here. One want to get married to get on the SO's insurance, the other doesn't want to, etc. I think it is silly.
Right. The LW's situation is not one of being straight or gay, it's about being used for the insurance and allowing themselves to be used. I think people may realize that "little piece of paper" represents a whole lot more than they care to let on.
Meh. I have heard of similar situations happening with hetero couples here. One want to get married to get on the SO's insurance, the other doesn't want to, etc. I think it is silly.
Right. The LW's situation is not one of being straight or gay, it's about being used for the insurance and allowing themselves to be used. I think people may realize that "little piece of paper" represents a whole lot more than they care to let on.
My thought exactly.
flan
Generally speaking. But hetero couples couldn't get insurance by filing the type of affidavit they did. Hetero couples would have actually had to have gotten married to get the insurance.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Yup. We want MORE privileges, not equal. Uh huh. So, if marriage is legalized and they want bennies, then get married. It should be the same then now right?
-- Edited by lilyofcourse on Friday 31st of October 2014 09:01:04 AM
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Meh. I have heard of similar situations happening with hetero couples here. One want to get married to get on the SO's insurance, the other doesn't want to, etc. I think it is silly.
Right. The LW's situation is not one of being straight or gay, it's about being used for the insurance and allowing themselves to be used. I think people may realize that "little piece of paper" represents a whole lot more than they care to let on.
My thought exactly.
flan
Generally speaking. But hetero couples couldn't get insurance by filing the type of affidavit they did. Hetero couples would have actually had to have gotten married to get the insurance.
They only had to use an affidavit because they didn't have the right to marry in their state. Now that they do, he will lose insurance now that they aren't married. If they get married for insurance they will be just like all the straight cpurples who marry for benefits.
But the guy doesn't want to get married. He liked having the benefits when they were playing house. But now that it could become real, he don't want it.
He wants the benefits without the ties.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Meh. I have heard of similar situations happening with hetero couples here. One want to get married to get on the SO's insurance, the other doesn't want to, etc. I think it is silly.
Right. The LW's situation is not one of being straight or gay, it's about being used for the insurance and allowing themselves to be used. I think people may realize that "little piece of paper" represents a whole lot more than they care to let on.
My thought exactly.
flan
Generally speaking. But hetero couples couldn't get insurance by filing the type of affidavit they did. Hetero couples would have actually had to have gotten married to get the insurance.
They only had to use an affidavit because they didn't have the right to marry in their state. Now that they do, he will lose insurance now that they aren't married. If they get married for insurance they will be just like all the straight cpurples who marry for benefits.
But he doesn't want to get married. He had a nice benefit that hetero couples didn't. Benefits without marriage. There are tons of live-in hetero couples that did not have that benefit.
Now, he will be treated equally.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
And now he is losing the benefit. Who here wanted special rights? At the time maybe he wanted to get married. Now he doesn't. Or maybe he is just nervous. No one in the letter is crying about him losing the benefits. If it was REALLY about the benefits for his boyfriend, they'd be married in a heart beat.
And now he is losing the benefit. Who here wanted special rights? At the time maybe he wanted to get married. Now he doesn't. Or maybe he is just nervous. No one in the letter is crying about him losing the benefits. If it was REALLY about the benefits for his boyfriend, they'd be married in a heart beat.
My bet is that the relationship will end now that he can't get the benefits for free.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
And now he is losing the benefit. Who here wanted special rights? At the time maybe he wanted to get married. Now he doesn't. Or maybe he is just nervous. No one in the letter is crying about him losing the benefits. If it was REALLY about the benefits for his boyfriend, they'd be married in a heart beat.
My bet is that the relationship will end now that he can't get the benefits for free.
Me too.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
If benefits were the main reason for the relationship don't you think he would have married him to keep said benefits?
No one here wanted special rights. This was the option forced on them because they were denied equal rights in the first place. Had gay marriage been legal, they never would have had the benefits without marriage.
Now that marriage is a real possibility and it has real consequences he doesn't want it.
He wanted his cake and to eat it two. He wanted the best of both worlds without the commitment of marriage.
"Treat me equal! Unless it means I am treated equally..."
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Treat me equal! And until I win equality I will make do with what I have to do! Including affidavits. And when I have equality, I won't just jump into marriage for benefits like so many other people do!
Treat me equal! And until I win equality I will make do with what I have to do! Including affidavits. And when I have equality, I won't just jump into marriage for benefits like so many other people do!
It sounds like the LW was under the impression that they would have been married already if it was legal, but his partner is not as commited as he is, and has been stringing him alone. We've all had an SO like this.
Sure, but any user would use whatever circumstances to abuse people. This guy isn't a dick because he is gay, he is just a dick. I bet he would have been a dick no matter what his sexual orientation was. Specials treatment or not, to him it was just a tool.
Now that marriage is a real possibility and it has real consequences he doesn't want it.
He wanted his cake and to eat it two. He wanted the best of both worlds without the commitment of marriage.
"Treat me equal! Unless it means I am treated equally..."
All of this is a douche issue, not a gay issue.
This guy is a user. Users comes in all shapes and sizes and orientations...
Yes, but the point is - if they hadn't had special allowances available, he wouldn't have been able to use him for this.
They wouldn't have HAD special allowances if they had marriage equality.
He had equality. And he had special privileges. He had both. What he wanted more new rights.
And rights people were not even fighting for until less than a decade ago. You can't change the past. This wasn't even a political issue until this century.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Now that marriage is a real possibility and it has real consequences he doesn't want it.
He wanted his cake and to eat it two. He wanted the best of both worlds without the commitment of marriage.
"Treat me equal! Unless it means I am treated equally..."
All of this is a douche issue, not a gay issue.
This guy is a user. Users comes in all shapes and sizes and orientations...
I didn't say it was. I am saying that kicking and screaming about being treated equally and actually getting those equalities can be two totally different worlds.
Here is a user that was using his boyfriend. Now the boyfriend wants what he thought he had. But the user doesn't want the trappings of marriage. He just wants the benefits.
He got the milk before buying the cow.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
And now the milk is being taken away and he's angry.
__________________
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
Treat me equal! And until I win equality I will make do with what I have to do! Including affidavits. And when I have equality, I won't just jump into marriage for benefits like so many other people do!
No. But you sure will enjoy benefits that hetero couples DONT get until then.
Hey! It's heteros that need to be screaming treat me equal. Cause they sure are not getting the benefits the gay community is getting.
Equal mean the same and right now, this affidavit thing is not an equal ground.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Sure, but any user would use whatever circumstances to abuse people. This guy isn't a dick because he is gay, he is just a dick. I bet he would have been a dick no matter what his sexual orientation was. Specials treatment or not, to him it was just a tool.
Nobody said that until you did.
But yeah. He is. And he was before by playing house and using his boyfriend to get insurance.
Something a straight couple cant do.
So I guess it does make it a gay issue.
The issue is this, if you want to be treated equal, then why are you taking advantages of something the hetero community can not. That isn't equal.
That is called talking out of both side of your mouth.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Now that marriage is a real possibility and it has real consequences he doesn't want it.
He wanted his cake and to eat it two. He wanted the best of both worlds without the commitment of marriage.
"Treat me equal! Unless it means I am treated equally..."
All of this is a douche issue, not a gay issue.
This guy is a user. Users comes in all shapes and sizes and orientations...
Yes, but the point is - if they hadn't had special allowances available, he wouldn't have been able to use him for this.
They wouldn't have HAD special allowances if they had marriage equality.
So it isn't marriage equality we are talking about.
It is individual ability to have something without penalty.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I could not get on DH's insurance without benefit of marriage. We had to actually submit a copy of our marriage license when we got married. It was a nightmare. They scrutinized it very carefully. I also had to provide my birth certificate. And then adding my kids... Even though my kids were legally able to be on his insurance since we were married they asked for THEIR birth certificates, SS cards, AND my divorce decree.
__________________
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
And apparently if you had been gay all you would have had to have was a letter.
You were treated so unfairly. You should sue! Discrimination!
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I know. I couldn't believe they asked for my divorce decree. Seriously? If I got married then I was obviously single. It had been 17 years. Good thing I had saved a copy.
__________________
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
Sure, but any user would use whatever circumstances to abuse people. This guy isn't a dick because he is gay, he is just a dick. I bet he would have been a dick no matter what his sexual orientation was. Specials treatment or not, to him it was just a tool.
Nobody said that until you did.
But yeah. He is. And he was before by playing house and using his boyfriend to get insurance.
Something a straight couple cant do.
So I guess it does make it a gay issue.
The issue is this, if you want to be treated equal, then why are you taking advantages of something the hetero community can not. That isn't equal.
That is called talking out of both side of your mouth.
Because the Hetero community was denying them equality so they took what they could get until then..... You are yelling about special privileges, they only "got" them because they were being denied the equality to marry and worked around it. now that they GOT the equality, the "special privlege" is going away and the one guy wants to get married and the other does not.
I could not get on DH's insurance without benefit of marriage. We had to actually submit a copy of our marriage license when we got married. It was a nightmare. They scrutinized it very carefully. I also had to provide my birth certificate. And then adding my kids... Even though my kids were legally able to be on his insurance since we were married they asked for THEIR birth certificates, SS cards, AND my divorce decree.
The difference is you had the OPTION of being married to get on his insurance. This couple did not have that option.
Actually this sounds like a very typical situation where two people go into a relationship with different goals. Obviously one partner wanted to get married and provide bennies for his partner and the other partner was either never into the idea of a long term commitment or seriously changed his mind. They got some special privileges because they were gay and now those privileges are running out. I don't think anyone would recommend them getting married if one of the partners aren't ready. However, you have to live with the consequences of your choices. And one of them is losing the benefits if you do not get married. To me it sounds like one partner cares way more about the relationship than the other. What partner number two needs to do is sit partner number one down and say, "Look, I love you very much and I want to get married. I respect the fact that you don't want to get married right now for whatever reason, but given that I now have to take you off my health insurance. To keep you on would be illegal. You need to make some decisions about what you are going to do to get coverage."
It isn't a gay issue in that this guy is definitely a user. Heteros do that too. So that's not the "gay" issue. The "gay" issue is that they were given special rights to insurance that no one else had. This wouldn't have been an issue if the insurance had said no live ins period. And before you start screaming about how they couldn't get married it's obvious that one of them didn't want that. They gamed the system and now it's time to pay the piper.
__________________
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
You have no idea that at the time they didn't both want that. Sometimes people want things at one point but then later decide they don't.
Well, you know what? If he's changed his mind he now has to live with the consequences of that. So no insurance. Too bad. Gay marriage is now legal in their state so it's no different for them than for heterosexual people. Pony up or lose the insurance. Straight people have been dealing with this for decades.
And I could care less whether he marries or doesn't. If he doesn't want to get married that's his right. He just no longer has the right to insurance.
__________________
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou