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Many same-sex couples desire the chance to secure some form of
government acknowledgement of their relationship status, even if only in
symbolic form, feeling that this would convey some sense of affirmation
of their family. Other couples maintain that their families need no
"government stamp of approval" in order to be considered valid and
valued.
From an economic standpoint, some Minnesota employers and others
indicate that they would treat employees' or customers' domestic
partners in the same manner as they would treat such persons' spouses,
for instance with respect to benefits, if they were registered with a
government office. Unfortunately, Minnesota is one of the vast majority
of states that presently have no mechanism through which domestic
partners may register on a state-wide basis, even for simply symbolic
purposes. Since 1991, the only government office at which same-sex
couples in Minnesota could register as domestic partners has been
Minneapolis City Hall, where for $20, a couple could register largely
for symbolic purposes.
Minneapolis has followed the lead of such cities as Aspen, CO, and
Seattle, WA, in permitting any couple with the required fee to register.
This means that, for symbolic purposes, a couple from St. Paul, Duluth,
or Crookston could participate in the Minneapolis registry. The City
Council also clarified that domestic partners are not to be
discriminated against in certain financial arrangements within the city
itself.
City of Minneapolis
Domestic Partner Registration Form
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