#i feel like i'm doomed to be a floating statistic as far as the government is concerned

[delphiniumjoy]

I do not want to get married. I acknowledge that equal marriage rights are incredibly valuable for a multitude of reasons and that the fight for marriage equality is nowhere near over (disabled people being unable to get married at risk of losing their benefits comes to mind). But I do not want to get married.

I am however deeply frustrated by the complete lack of legal rights that exist outside of marriage. My next of kin will forever be my parents and siblings, no matter how much of my life has been devoted to a chosen family. They will have first rights in legal, medical, and even funerary decisions. And don't get me wrong, I am close with my blood family, but I ache at the thought that some of the most important people in my life will never "count" by these metrics. If I'm hospitalized, they won't even be allowed in the room.

Legal care of kinship only applies to children with insufficient guardianship (this is where a godparent or friend or neighbor can serve as a substitute guardian, basically). I as an adult can't get my friends to legally adopt me (also that would be a little weird). At best, I can list them as an emergency contact and hope. Why am I not allowed to sign a piece of paper saying these people are loved and trusted and should be recognized as such.