Why Civil Unions for all is a Bad Idea
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=966D724AA20376721234735FE2DBD7B2?diaryId=8294Jake Goad
Tue Nov 18, 2008 at 05:51:26 AM EST
NOTE FROM PAM: I agree that the idea of civil unions for all is dead in the water politically speaking. I do, however, think that establishing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples as an interim step in states where marriage equality simply isn't going to happen (or no legal rights exist at all for G/L couples) is a viable, if extremely flawed, short-term goal. That is, if the goal is to extend as many rights as realistically possible to the most people in the shortest amount of time. It's a debate we've had quite often at the Blend, and there are good cases to be made, pro and con.
Everyone, including the president-elect, knows separate is unequal and that will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. For states that were able to decide in the affirmative (CA, MA, CT) for extending marriage rights, it only helps to overall cause to have these in place to point out the discrepancies. In the case of NJ, CUs have been shown to be separate and unequal, further bolstering the case for marriage equality
