"Married men and women get paid more than people who are single. Married men hold higher positions, get promoted more often and receive better performance appraisals than single men. Additionally, married white women earn four percent (4%) more and married black women earn 10 percent (10%)more than their single peers."

Statistics like these always get my attention. I want to ask questions related to demographics (age? immigrant? first generation? health?) and geographical location (west coast? east coast? Ohio?) and time frame and type of work (blue collar, white collar, professional?) And do they have children?

It's so easy to jump to conclusions when the underlying factors at work may be something else.

However, anecdotally, my 40+ years in the workplace support the first paragraph. Married people are seen as unlikely to be homosexual and more likely to be "stable" whatever the hell that means. The men would comment that 'she was getting it regularly and would be less emotional.' The women would sneer back that a wife would keep the man in line, as though he were in danger of driving off a metaphorical cliff.

There has been a parallel view of women with and without children. If she hasn't had a child, she is somehow a lesser person, someone who can't understand real life, a flake. Being a mother is the gold standard for wisdom gained, especially where children are concerned. If she hasn't given birth, she knows nothing about children, and by implication, about people and their problems. She lacks gravitas.

So, go out and say you're married with children. Carry pictures with you and wear a ring. With 20% of the population now being conservative Christian, a little protective coloration can help. Mother Nature figured it out a long time ago.