Our History

The Alternatives to Marriage Project was founded in 1998 by Marshall Miller and Dorian Solot, a committed long-term unmarried couple. They were surprised and frustrated by the enormous pressure to marry and discrimination that they experienced. After several years of discussion, dreaming, and research, they decided to take action. The organization clearly met a need: within a matter of months emails and phone calls from around the country began to stream in. Since that time, the Alternatives to Marriage Project’s mailing list has grown to include over 9,500 households representing all 50 states and more than 65 countries. AtMP staff, members, and volunteers appear in the media hundreds of times each year to educate the nation about unmarried lives. Appearances include CNN, the O’Reilly Factor, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times. From November 2005 – June 2011, Lisa-Nicolle (Nicky) Grist assumed leadership of the Alternatives to Marriage Project as AtMP’s new Executive Director. In November 2011, the Board of Directors hired a new amazing leader, Cindy Butler who has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. On February 14, 2013, the Alternatives to Marriage Project became Unmarried Equality.  While the organization’s mission remains the same, the stronger name reflects its evolution into a promoter of social justice.