This past week saw a highly publicized move by the Department of Justice to treat same-sex married couples equal to heterosexual couples. And, not as publicized but also quite noteworthy, State Farm Insurance announced this week that same-sex married couples are now eligible for its marriage-discount programs.
Both developments point to the nearly innumerable realms that marriage equality — and inequality — touch.
While the marriage-equality debate is often threaded with religious debates, LGBT advocates, and anyone who’s had a potentially frustrating religion-focused discussion with an opponent of equality, have largely sought to show that same-sex couples are seeking equality in the law, not in the church. However, many marriage-equality opponents may not grasp the full gamut of rights and benefits that married same-sex couples are denied, owing largely to taking their own status as a married couple for granted — and maybe a touch of ignorance.
While it would be nice for marriage equality to become the law of the land overnight, the patchwork progress we’re seeing may actually be helpful in educating Americans on the true legal impact of marriage. By seeing each benefit roll out individually — with pronouncements from the Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service — the public is able to see just how fully same-sex couples have been excluded from state and federal programs. And having companies like State Farm amend their policies brings the focus even sharper on the fact that, in addition to government-administered programs, same-sex couples have faced undue burdens, and been forced to pay higher rates, at an array of private companies — from insurance companies to gyms to amusement parks — that offer marriage- or family-based incentives.
While these gradual updates are a reflection of past discrimination, they’re also an indication of how far we still need to go. State Farm is just one company to announce this change; what about others? The scope of the work, both at private companies and in state and federal governments, that needs to be done to ensure married same-sex couples are treated as such, is vast.
But, if the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that change is happening. One practical step at a time.