Many people in the United States of America think that by
offering civil unions or domestic partnerships, they are doing LGBT individuals
a favor. A large portion of this comes from the belief that marriage is a
religious ceremony, and homosexuality is a big taboo for a lot of religious
people.
But this actually ignores one very important thing: marriage
is not just religious, it is also civil. Now for years this has been wrapped up
into one thing, but ever since the separation of church and state they have
become two different animals. Basically you can be married without a religious
ceremony, and you can be married without recognition by the government (the
situation currently tied to cases of polygamy).
