Onely.Org

Colorado (Accidentally) Passes Pro-Single Law April 27, 2009

Colorado: more than just heteronormative ghosts!

The state has passed a law allowing “any two unmarried people to designate each other as entitled to numerous legal consequences usually reserved to married couples”, says Nancy Polikoff, author of Beyond Straight and Gay Marriage, in her 15 April 2009 article about the new legislation. 

This Designated Beneficiaries Act allows Colorado to avoid legalizing gay marriage. But this is actually a good thing! By not legalizing gay marriage and instead creating a law where a person can choose their who plays the important roles in his/her life,  Colorado is helping to dismantle the marriage-as-privilege-and-panacea concept–which benefits not only GLBT couples, but single people as well, and others whose lifestyles don’t fit into the conventional heteronormative coupledom snackpack.

Now, in Colorado at least, you don’t have to have a spouse in order to have someone who can make health decisions for you, or ride on your employee health insurance plan, or receive your assets when you die. And if I understand correctly, you can actually choose which benefits you allocate to which person.  Here’s a list of those benefits. They are still less than what two married people would receive, but nonetheless we at Onely think the law will help stall the marriage juggernaut–a more progressive stance than even when Vermont and Massachusetts’ sanctioned same-sex marriage. Ironic that Colorado was actually trying to *not* be progressive when they passed this law.  Mrs. Wilson would be rolling over in her grave (or at least in the middle of the bed in room 217).