If you are single, do you think that you are a target of discrimination? Regardless of whether you are single or coupled or something else, do you think that single people are discriminated against?

I have been documenting singlism – the stereotyping of singles and discrimination against them – for years. I’ve published studies of singlism in social science journals, showing, for example, evidence of housing discrimination. I reviewed various categories of discrimination against singles in Singled Out, and in Singlism, several dozen other thinkers and activists joined me in writing about the many ways in which singles are shortchanged just because they are single.

Sometimes single people declare that they have never been targets of discrimination, but in the United States, that is not possible. Discrimination is written right into our federal and state laws.

One reason why people do not realize that singlism occurs is that it gets so little attention. This week is an exception. The Daily Beast (the online website of Newsweek) is featuring a story by Maura Kelly titled “Singled out: Are unmarried people discriminated against?” Below are six examples of discrimination she highlighted in her story. (For other examples, check out Singlism.)

1. Singles pay more per person for car insurance than married people do.
2. Singles are targets of housing discrimination.
3. Singles have less access to affordable health insurance than married people, who can sometimes add their partner to their workplace plan at a reduced rate.
4. Single men are paid less than married men for the same work.
5. Singles are disadvantaged in the tax system, with regard to the transfer of property and wealth, and yes, even income taxes.
6. Singles – especially those with no children – are often expected to cover for couples and parents in the workplace.

Singles, it is time for us to say that we are fed up and we are not going to take it anymore!

Excluded single photo available from Shutterstock.

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From Psych Central's website:
Top 10 Single-at-Heart Posts for 2012 | Single at Heart (December 27, 2012)

    Last reviewed: 8 Feb 2012