Marriage Matters: Sharing Our Stories
New Yorkers Desiree Leone, an EMS Coordinator, and Carolee Stoll, who works in College Support Services, have been together for 13 years. Like many who are able to share their stories, the couple considers themselves relatively fortunate. Desiree's employer offers domestic partner health benefits, and both have supportive families.
Still, Desiree and Carolee are not immune to the adverse effects of marriage discrimination. Said Desiree, "Since my medical benefits were much better than [Carolee's], we figured I would put her on mine." After two months of research and a lengthy approval process, the couple then found out about the additional tax implications of covering them both under Desiree's plan.
"I would have to claim the cost of her benefits as salary," said Desiree. "I actually lost money in my paycheck on top of now paying the family plan."
She continued, "When AFLAC began offering a cancer plan to me through my employer, I again requested a family plan to include my partner. They refused to allow or recognize our situation. Needless to say I declined the plan."
Read through other families' stories here:
- Carmen and Anisia Machado
- Denise and Treeva Liggett-Creek
- Shelley Hayes and Mary Horvath
- Terri Miller and Cindy Simms
- Mark McKinney and Steve Lepre
- Jennifer Lin and Jeanne Fong
- Lori and Cin Diné
- Gita Deane and Lisa Polyak
- Nigel Simon and Alvin Williams
- Jo Rabb and Takia Foskey
- Lisa Laurey and Toni Williamson
- Richard Phelps and Mitchell Wood
- Desiree Leone and Carolee Stoll
- Barry Clayton and Michael Garaza
- Stephanie Furness and Shannon Kearns
- Charles Blackburn and Glen Dehn
- Delia Meraz and Persephone Gonzalez
- Amorie Robinson and Hattie Alexander-Robinson
Why Marriage Matters America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry
By Evan Wolfson
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Read families’ stories about how marriage discrimination affects everyday life. These stories communicate, in concrete ways, how the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage hurts families and helps no one.
Start in The Marriage Basics to get short answers to your big questions about the freedom to marry, and learn more about the protections and responsibilities of marriage, the historical background for this civil rights movement, why separate is not equal, and so much more.
