Gay Couples May Have to Marry ... to Keep Benefits

Now that gay marriage is legal in New York, some couples might have no choice but to take the plunge—at least if they want to keep their health insurance. Two major companies—Raytheon and IBM—say employees in same-sex relationships must get married if they want to keep the benefits they now get as "domestic partners," reports the Wall Street Journal.

Employees at both companies will have a grace period of several months to decide. Neither offers domestic partner benefits to non-married hetero couples, and now that gay weddings are legal, the exception will no longer be available to same-sex workers. Most companies in states where gay marriage is legal continue to offer the option to gay couples, according to a 2011 study cited by the Journal. Click to read a critic who thinks President Obama is failing to lead on gay marriage.)