Marriage v. Civil Union

Comparing marriage to civil unions is a bit like comparing diamonds to rhinestones. One is, quite simply, the real deal; the other is not. Consider:

· Couples eligible to marry may have their marriage licenses performed in any state and have it recognized in every other state in the nation and every country in the world.

· Couples who are joined in a civil union in Vermont (the only state that offers civil unions) have no guarantee that its protections will even travel with them to neighboring New York or New Hampshire – let alone California or any other state.

Moreover, even couples who have a civil union and remain in Vermont receive only second-class protections in comparison to their married friends and neighbors. While they receive state-level protections, they do not receive any of the more than 1,100 federal benefits and protections of marriage.

In short, civil unions are not separate but equal – they are separate and unequal. And our society has tried separate before. It just doesn’t work.

Marriage:	Civil Unions:
· State grants marriage licenses to couples.	· State would grant civil union licenses to couples.
· Couples receive legal protections and rights under state and federal law.	· Couples receive legal protections and rights under state law only.
· Couples are recognized as being married by the federal government and all state governments.	· Civil unions are not recognized by other states or federal government.
· Religious institutions are not required to recognize marriages or perform marriage ceremonies.	· Religious institutions are not required to recognize civil unions or perform civil union ceremonies.

For more information on marriage and other issues important to the LGBT community, or to get involved, please visit HRC on the web at http://www.hrc.org and http://www.millionformarriage.org.