LAMBDA LEGAL ARCHIVE SITETHIS SITE IS NO LONGER MAINTAINED. TO SEE OUR MOST RECENT CASES AND NEWS, VISITNEW LAMBDALEGAL.ORG

As Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Legal, Some Choices May Be Lost

Find Your State

Know the laws in your state that protect LGBT people and people living with HIV.
July 8, 2011

"Corning, I.B.M. and Raytheon all provide domestic partner benefits to employees with same-sex partners in states where they cannot marry. But now that they can legally wed in New York, five other states and the District of Columbia, they will be required to do so if they want their partner to be covered for a routine checkup or a root canal...

"'There are certainly reasons why a couple may not wish to marry,' added Camilla Taylor, marriage project director at Lambda Legal. 'People with certain immigration statuses might want to think very carefully before getting married. There are some types of visas that are meant to be temporary, and if you get married to someone who is a citizen, it could flag your renewal application and reflect your more permanent decision to stay.'

"When it comes to adopting a child, couples may run into trouble if they are trying to adopt from a place that restricts same-sex married couples from adopting. Having one parent adopt while still single may be easier. 'If you want to be able to answer honestly in paperwork, multiple interviews and background checks, then you won't want to get married,' Ms. Taylor said, adding that many foreign countries ban adoptions to same-sex couples."

Read more in the New York Times.

Share