When 7 Years Together and a Daughter Still Don't Make You a Family

by Michael Jones · 2009-01-14 12:54:00 UTC
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Rochester Athletic ClubHow can a gym membership shed light on the ways in which same-gender couples are discriminated against by not having equal access to civil marriage?

To find out, head to Rochester, Minnesota, where a Minnesota Court just ruled in favor of a health club in a lawsuit brought by a lesbian couple for being denied a family membership at the gym.  The Rochester Athletic Club (RAC) denied a family membership to Amy and Sarah Monson, who have been together for over seven years and are currently raising a daughter together, because the club did not consider them to be a legal family.

RAC only gives family memberships to families with "married couples" at the helm.  LGBT citizens do not have equal marriage rights in Minnesota, and as such, no same-gender couple qualifies for discounted gym memberships.

One can argue that this is a small thing, but it's a prime example of how until marriage equality laws are passed in the states, same-gender couples will not be entitled to the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples.  The Monsons are currently deciding whether to appeal their case to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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