Singles Deserve a Holiday – And a Little R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Op-Ed By Craig Wynne

Every February, the media and many industries recognize Valentine’s Day, an ode to coupling.  But, in 2026, there are more Americans living outside marriage than ever, yet nearly every major American institution still assumes that marriage is the ticket to being an adult.

Unmarried and Single Americans Week takes place during the third week of September (this year, it lasts from September 20-26, 2026).  It started in the 1980s in Ohio to celebrate the contributions of singles to the world (this population includes Isaac Newton, Jane Austen, and Nikola Tesla). The rate of people who have never married has grown; according to the latest US Census count, the rate of men fifteen and up who have never married is just below 40% compared with just below 30% in 1950.  For women, that rate is above 30%, up from 20% in that same year. And the rates of people who never marry are predicted to trend upward.  Yet we still treat singlehood as a disease to be cured; this should not be.

Whether you’re encouraged or horrified by these statistics, this is the reality.  I’m firmly in the camp of “encouraged.”  Singles have been shown to have wider networks of friends than married folks, and they volunteer more.  They also do more caregiving of elderly parents, relatives, and neighbors, which runs counter to the stereotype that “single people are selfish.”  Of course, people who are coupled volunteer and (ideally) give of themselves to their partners, but this shouldn’t negate the contributions made by singles.

Even the Bible endorses singleness (“I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me” – 1 Corinthians 7).  In this case, Paul advocated for serving God.  While I’m not religious, I like to think I serve my students, my family of origin, and the thousands of people I advocate for through my writing and work at Singles Equality. 

This type of dynamic isn’t recognized, much less celebrated. In fact, it’s punished. Take, for example, the Singles Tax, which typically charges singles more for things like housing, insurance, and travel, even in 2026.  Most recently, a California appeals court ruled that single drivers should pay more in car insurance than married ones. This is an example of the concept of singlism, defined by social scientist Bella DePaulo as the stigma surrounding the non-married and otherwise non-partnered.

This way of thinking is outdated and problematic, particularly given the increasing numbers of singles.  For many people, singleness isn’t the absence of a partner, but a valid lifestyle on its own.  Yet, despite this realization, the world hasn’t yet provided equity for singles.

In response to this problem, a group of us at Singles Equality designed a Singles Bill of Rights (SBR), a manifesto that states how the world should be more inclusive of singles.  It addresses a variety of issues, such as how some doctors are more apt to provide better medical care to married patients.  My friend Joan DelFattore faced an oncologist who recommended a less aggressive course of treatment for her cancer because she wasn’t married and didn’t have children. On a less dramatic level, is it fair that a single person has to pay $30 for a membership while a couple pays $40 (a $10 discount per person because they happen to be romantically involved?)

Despite less of an overall desire to couple up, society isn’t paying attention.  So it’s on us as individuals to level the playing field.  You can write to your Congressperson about inequities singles in your community field, like Joan did in researching her upcoming book about how the healthcare system discriminates against singles.  My friend David goes to the opera solo.  An usher asked him to move his seat to accommodate a family.  When he did, he was ousted by another group.  Finally, he complained to the head usher, who gave him a seat toward the front of the theater.  He called the theater manager a few days later, who gave a sincere apology. Heather Steil, President of Singles Equality, also wrote a letter to her local paper advocating this holiday be recognized.

We singles don’t need to be reminded that we’re “still single.” And we certainly don’t need society to treat marriage as a requirement of adulthood. We need the same fairness and recognition someone would get on their wedding day. And we need the freedom to build lives that aren’t measured by whether another person is in them.

So this week, celebrate Unmarried and Single Americans Week. Talk about it. Post the fun things you’re doing it. Write about it if you’re inclined to do so. And, most importantly, start treating singlehood not as a problem waiting to be solved, but as a valid way of doing life.