Unmarried Equality members have probably noticed lots of ways in which single people are not treated fairly by businesses and other groups and organizations. Let’s do more than just rolling our eyes or venting among ourselves. Let’s call them out.
Image by Frank McKenna, Unsplash
Almost all singles have experienced it, being discriminated because you are not married. It is everywhere, from the media, advertisements, your workplace, even your friends and family. You know what they are thinking “Aw, poor thing cannot even find a husband/wife. There must be something wrong with her/him.” And how many times do you have to hear your mother or father say, “When are you going to get married and give me some grandchildren?” Why? What is wrong with choosing to be single? Not everyone wants to be married. Nothing wrong with that at all.
According to the prevailing cultural narratives, single people in later life have two big things going against them: They are single and they are old. Now focus on the older single women and you have the trifecta: They are single, they are old, and they are women! If conventional wisdom got its way, they would be doing terribly. But guess what? They are not. There are real challenges, for women and men, to aging in an ageist and singlist society. Considering what they are up against, it is remarkable how well older single people are doing.
Are single people treated unfairly in the workplace? Here are some of my writings on this topic and other issues related to single people and their work and careers.
Single people are routinely stereotyped, stigmatized, and ignored, as I highlighted in the subtitle of my book, Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After. They are also shamed. Here are some examples of that. Happily, as the number of single people grows and as more people spend more years of their lives not married, single people are sometimes celebrated, too. This collection also includes examples of ways in which single people are celebrated.
Single people have yet to have their moment as a political force. That’s unfortunate, as there are so many ways that they are denied the benefits and protections accorded to people who are married. Here are links to discussions of advocacy, activism, and issues facing singles; the legal and financial costs of single life; politics and voting; matters of privilege; and more.
