1,049 federal rights depend on marital status. What the privilege of marriage buys you.
After being in a romantic partnership for almost eight years, after living together for four years, after jointly purchasing property, sharing bills and income, after having a ceremony during which we publicly declared our commitment to one another in front of all our friends and family, Terra and I are still denied 1,049 federal rights automatically granted to heterosexual, married couples. Rest of article can be found at: http://scribbling.net/1049-federal-rights-depend-on-marital-status Some of those rights include:
Beep. Circle takes the square. Those are federal privileges, not rights. A right is something that, when exercised, puts no onus or obligation on another person.
That being said, "free association" is a right. Regardless of the religious or moral implications, these folks cohabitation has not engendered an obligation on the part of a third party.
Can I ask why you went through all of that but did not marry?