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Legal Stuff (no relation to previous post)
Jan. 5th, 2012 07:15 amAs I'd mentioned my current data-entry temp job mostly involves forms stating the beneficiaries for people insurance policies and retirement funds. I spend all day looking at documentation of people trying to make sure their families will be ok financially.
It's made me think about the marriage equality movement, and among other things, how it's been a useful counterbalance to the "it's just a piece of paper, our love doesn't need society's validation" argument* - because however true that might be emotionally, a piece of paper that says "if I die, the person I love and live with will continue to receive my pension and no one can argue that" is worth a whole packet of sonnets, and I say that as a sonnet-loving former English major.
* An argument that can be heard from either gay or straight couples, though mostly straight, simply because of statistics and because society usually does validate their relationship without being asked.
It's made me think about the marriage equality movement, and among other things, how it's been a useful counterbalance to the "it's just a piece of paper, our love doesn't need society's validation" argument* - because however true that might be emotionally, a piece of paper that says "if I die, the person I love and live with will continue to receive my pension and no one can argue that" is worth a whole packet of sonnets, and I say that as a sonnet-loving former English major.
* An argument that can be heard from either gay or straight couples, though mostly straight, simply because of statistics and because society usually does validate their relationship without being asked.
