There's a shift going on in the American nuptials landscape. Interestingly, as more and more gay couples are gaining the right to wed, it's getting harder and harder for straight couples to get divorced. Some states are trying to push against the rise of gay marriage by making sure straight couples who are currently married stay that way.
From Newsweek: "There's a new measure in Oklahoma requiring parenting classes for couples with children seeking a divorce, and Arizona and Utah have passed laws in the past three years mandating counseling courses or longer waiting periods. Seeking a divorce in Massachusetts and have kids under the age of 18? You'll have to attend a six-hour parenting education course. Arkansas has a 540-day standard processing time for divorce, and a couple needs to have an 18-month separation before they can even file. From start to finish, a divorce there can take almost three years. Maryland, South Carolina and North Carolina aren't much better; each has a mandatory one-year separation or waiting period before you can even file."
And this is the big issue that's on the table. Are legislators trying to push a pro-marriage agenda going to end up out of office because of a huge constituency they've forced to be together even thought they don't want to be? That's going to be an interesting twist in this upcoming election cycle.
For more:
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do in Arkansas; Why Divorce Laws Are Getting Stricter (Newsweek)
Image via klaaspieter on Flickr.