# Is a "Marriage of Opportunity" Illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2005, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-marriage-of-opportunity-illegal/327414 "2005-10-22T08:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-marriage-of-opportunity-illegal/327414/21 "2005-10-22T17:44:25Z")
NPR reported a while back on a couple of guys in Canda who were in a bar complaining that since they’d gotten divorced they no longer got the tax breaks for being married and that there wasn’t any possibility of them getting married in the future, so they were going to be stuck paying higher taxes. Then one of them remembered the same sex marriage law that had just been passed and wondered if there was any requirement for the marriage to be consummated. They checked with a lawyer and found out there wasn’t. They haven’t picked yet, but are planning on getting hitched as soon as they can get some of the details worked out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-marriage-of-opportunity-illegal/327414/22 "2005-10-22T19:35:44Z")
[Straight Canadians to marry for tax purposes](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1492636.html?menu=news.quirkies) Of course it’s Ananova and she’s hardly a consistently reliable source… But Cecil [predicted](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000128.html) it, sort of, in the infamous column that brought me to the Dope back in the day. > [@Cecil Adams](#): > > Gay marriage presents a host of tricky issues. Why should marriage be restricted to conjugal relationships? Suppose a couple of wiseacre straight roommates waltz into city hall demanding a marriage license. We live together and share expenses, they argue. You’re telling us we can’t get a marriage license because we don’t have GAY SEX? It’s every bit as half-assed an argument against same-sex marriage now as it was five years ago, but still, somewhat prescient. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-marriage-of-opportunity-illegal/327414/23 "2005-10-22T20:33:12Z")
You know, I’ve always wondered how this would work for getting Pell Grants… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-marriage-of-opportunity-illegal/327414/24 "2005-10-22T20:35:04Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > SNIP > It’s every bit as half-assed an argument against same-sex marriage now as it was five years ago, but still, somewhat prescient. Don’t laugh. Before I changed jobs, I was on the verge of putting my straight same-sex roommate on my benefits. I read the line items associated with the domestic partner beneits, and they made no mention of marital congress, or love. I certainly shared my life with my roommate… we laughed, we fought, we played, we paid bills together… Heck, we were having just as much sex as _some_ married couples I know. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-marriage-of-opportunity-illegal/327414/25 "2005-10-22T21:56:53Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Oh, I failed to mention that, if any of this stuff is done outside the United States, then the non-military member of the sham marriage is open to prosecution for fraud, conspiracy, larceny, etc. I’m guessing that this hypothetical event is to take place in Korea. I certainly wouldn’t wish a trot through the Korean police, prosecution, trial, and prison systems on anyone. I certainly wouldn’t wish it on anyone now, when the police and the prosecution are having a major turf fight over who get to handle cases and how they will be handled. Only if their home country has laws against it. The only way a US court could prosecute them is if they tried to immigrate. > [@Monty](#): > > …Also, unmarried members of the United States military are **completely** free to date… Umarried servicemembers aren’t _completely_ free to date. They can’t date members of their own sex. Officers can’t date enlisted. And unmarried servicemembers can’t date married people civilian or not. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-marriage-of-opportunity-illegal/327414/26 "2005-10-22T22:01:40Z")
The OP has pretty nicely been answered and the OP requests that the thread be closed. **samclem** GQ moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-marriage-of-opportunity-illegal/327414.md?page=1)