In just the past few days, I noticed three things that I count as victories for single people. See if you agree.
#1
This time, it was discrimination that got bashed. By now, the latest victory has probably been reported in every major news source. The New York Times story began like this:
"President Obama on Thursday ordered his health secretary to issue new rules aimed at granting hospital visiting rights to same-sex partners."
That reporting is typical of how the story has been framed - as an expansion of rights for same-sex couples. Indeed, it is. But it is much more.
Have you read the original Presidential memorandum? It is only about a page. What Obama is urging is that everyone - not just gay men and lesbians - have the right to designate the persons they want as visitors when they are hospitalized.
This is the sort of reform I've been advocating for all of the years that I've been interested in the rights of people who are single - regardless of their sexual orientation or anything else. (See also this post to the Alternatives to Marriage Project blog.) It is not enough simply to add more couples to the list of people who qualify for such basic dignities as the right to have the most important people in your life at your side when you most need them.
When Obama offered examples of people other than those in the GLBT community who might qualify for these visitation rights, though, he stuck with the most conventionally acceptable single people:
"Often, a widow or widower with no children is denied the support and comfort of a good friend. Members of religious orders are sometimes unable to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions on their behalf."
Widows and widowers are "good" singles - they got married, and they didn't get divorced or anything - they can't help it if their spouse died. The religious singles are devoted to their God. As for the 58 million Americans who are single and always have been - well, we're still not going to acknowledge them.
Still, I take this as a victory for all singles, and I'm happy.
#2
Have you heard about the whisper campaign to impugn one of the possible Supreme Court nominees? Among those who think there is something wrong with any sexual orientation that is not heterosexual, the word has been spread that Elena Kagan is a lesbian. Of course, it shouldn't matter if she is or she isn't, and if she is, she should not need to be defended. That aside, I do like what Anita Dunn (who is working with the White House to fill the vacancy) said in response. The rumor-mongers, she noted, were "applying old stereotypes to single women with successful careers."
#3
In Singled Out, I complained that Amazon Prime charges me the same amount to register as it would charge a family of five. I think individuals should get better deals the more they patronize a business. That way, customers get rewarded for their loyalty rather than their marriage or family or household connections. So far as I know, Amazon Prime still hasn't budged, but I just learned that the Amazon credit card is advertising a "share the benefits" program. Card-holders can add friends or anyone else as authorized users and thereby build up their reward points faster. Unless I'm missing something, this is a win-win - good for singles, and good for business.
