Couples: State Of Our Unions

Newsweek, March, 2004 by Barbara Kantrowitz (With Pat Wingert, Karen Springen, Julie Scelfo, Joan Raymond and bureau reports)

Amber Settle, a 35-year-old associate professor of computer science at DePaul University in Chicago, is eight months pregnant and unmarried. Not so long ago, that would have been downright scandalous. But Settle and Andre Berthiaume, 35, also an associate professor at DePaul, feel no pressure to make their eight-year relationship official, despite the imminent arrival of their baby. Instead, they've drawn up powers of attorney and custody, and child-support agreements in case of a breakup. They also plan to update their wills. A marriage license? Not any time soon. More important than that "piece of paper," says Settle, "is that we make sure our relationship is strong... We will be Mom and Dad in every way that's important."

While critics contend that same-sex weddings will...

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