• While a handful of states recognize same-sex relationships with comprehensive protections, only one state, Massachusetts, allows gay and lesbian people to marry.
• The majority of states, as well as the federal government, now have laws that prohibit some form of recognition of same-sex relationships, and many of these laws will be difficult to overturn.
• Many employers don't provide health insurance and other protections to the partners of employees in same-sex relationships.
• Many hospitals don't allow partners to visit or make emergency decisions on medical treatment.
• Few courts allow same-sex couples to jointly adopt children.
• Many universities and municipalities bar same-sex couples from subsidized housing.
• Most states' inheritance laws don't provide for the surviving partner when a member of a same-sex couple dies without a will.

All too often LGBT couples don't realize the consequences of our discriminatory laws until it's too late. This section provides information on ways LGBT people can protect their relationships, even in states where marriage is prohibited. This section also contains resources for advocates to get relationship recognition on the local and state level, and to fight back against efforts to deny protections to gay and lesbian couples.