Domestic Partnership and Marriage

Married couples receive many legal and economic benefits, including the rights of inheritance and hospital visitation, which are not bestowed on same-sex partners. Even though most states do not recognize same-sex marriages, gays and lesbians have won recognition for domestic partnership benefits from thousands of private corporations, non-profit organizations, universities, colleges, cities, and counties. Based on the principle of equal pay for equal work, domestic partnership policies extend the same family benefits to unmarried employees with domestic partners that are routinely extended to married employees.

For information about recent developments related to gay and lesbian domestic partnership and marriage, consult the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's pages on Same Sex Marriage and Domestic Partnership.

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