I know it’s been a tough week for equality, fairness and for gay Californians especially.  The rest of the country is looking on, and doing all it can to be supportive.  That includes me, here in Florida.

I posted to a lesbian relationship blog I read quite often earlier today.  The blog’s creator lamented her frustration with the California decision and suggested perhaps we should stop wanting marriage and accept civil unions.

That’s a ‘mental space’ I’ve fallen into as well, at times.  That’s just what those who thrive on denying people civil rights want us to do.  That’s where I was back last year when I invited Evan Wolfson, from Freedom to Marry, to Coach Sappho’s podcast.  I was feeling defeated about gay marriage and, it’s chances of ever becoming the law of the entire U.S.

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Just like you, I’ve been quite concerned about the current economic realities.  This post is directed at those wonderful single lesbians who are seeking a life partner or soul mate in these tough economic times.

There has been a curious spike in profits for a couple of industries, I hear.  One is the liquor industry.  Ha!  I won’t cover the reasons for that one, as well as the potential pitfalls, in this post.  However, the other industry that is faring well in these challenging economic times is the online dating industry!

I’ve been hearing about the rapid increase in sign ups at online dating sites.  Just what is this spike in interest in online dating about, particularly in a time when many people are tightening their budgets?

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A friend passed on to me a great video clip of Suze Orman talking about her Valentine’s Day wish:

Suze’s wish is that gay and lesbians achieve the ‘birth’ right of marriage, and the financial benefits of doing so!

Wow, inspiring words from Suze Orman, you mustn’t miss this video!  I was touched as how she said it was ‘strong, short and sweet’, just like Suze herself…

Thanks to Louise who sent on the video AND, thank you Suze Orman, for using your tremendous influence and doing what YOU can to change hearts, minds and oppressive laws here in America!

Coming across my desk today are two worth-mentioning posts on the all-so-important practical aspects of living and loving – relationship agreements and estate and tax planning.  As lesbian couples become more celebratory of their relationships, they will hunger for this sort of information.  I, as always, am ‘thinking ahead’ for you!

Be sure to check both of these resources out BEFORE you check your Myspace, Facebook pages or post on Twitter today:

• Estate and Tax Planning for LGBT’s – great information, just in time for tax season!  Thanks to my colleagues over at the Lesbian Dating and Relationships blog for the heads up.

• Jaysays interview of Merle Horowitz’s book on ‘cohabitation agreements’.  Thanks to my bud Genia Stevens over at gaywallet.com for this information.

Eat these up!  Your relationship (or next relationship) depends on getting a handle on subjects such as these!   As Jaysays post title sums all of this up perfectly:  “Love is Love, but business is business.”  Whether you accept it or not, and whether you ever get married or legalize your relationship in some way or not, when you join your life with another person, business IS part of your relationship.  Mark my words.

Traditionally, women didn’t often handle the ‘money’ and ‘decision making’ aspects of their love relationships and most of us, as women, still have that ‘limiting belief’ floating around in our subconsciousnesses.  Someone, some may argue it was men, blinded our ancestral sisters to the practical aspects of our love relationships with romantic, ‘happily ever after’ fantasies.

We still believe some of these things, but, we need to stop having our heads in the clouds when it comes to money and love.  We CAN ‘live happily ever after’, however, it takes some planning…

Barb Elgin