Gay couples are facing pressure to get married from their employers

Gay couples are finding there&#039;s a fine line between being able to marry and being forced to for health benefits

(Image credit: iStock)

last updated 13 May 2015

With equal rights come equal responsibilities, Spider-Man never said. But that's the message gay couples are increasingly getting from the human-resources department, The Wall Street Journal reports, at least in states where gay marriage is legal.

While companies like Google, IBM, and Dow Chemical plan to continue offering benefits to all domestic partners, gay or straight, other companies that provide benefits to only same-sex partners are laying down an ultimatum: Get married or lose your partner's health care coverage. Delta Air Lines, Verizon, and other large employers aren't being driven entirely by traditionalist views on marriage, or even fairness concerns, explains Minneapolis employment lawyer Jen Cornell: Opposite-sex domestic partners might sue, claiming discrimination.

Some gay rights groups are upset at the nudge down the aisle, noting that while 37 states allow same-sex marriage, many of those don't prevent employers from firing you for being gay — and marriage licenses are public documents. Others find it a fair and reasonable shift. "Marriage is something we as gays and lesbians have fought for, for years," Delta fight attendant Mathew Palmer tells The Journal, "and Delta is acting as our ring bearer." Read more at The Wall Street Journal.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox