[longtermmemmory]

you state a non sequiter.

Civil unions are to be a legal recognition of sexual relations which do not have the remotest possibility of producing natural chidren from those sexual relations.

Business parnerships are to make money. Parnerships have contractual agreements which do not change year to year by act of legislature. Businss partnerships are artificial entitites (part the reason corporations have to use lawyers in a courtroom, can't represent yourself if you are not a person)

Civil unions are essentially a legal construct of marriage lite which is dedicated to the production of orgasms instead of children. Marriage is an institution, society rewards the institution not the individual in the institution.

[Smartaleck]

"Civil unions are to be a legal recognition of sexual relations which do not have the remotest possibility of producing natural chidren from those sexual relations."

Obtaining benefits from a partner relationship has nothing to do with the sex act. .... and I suppose they will at some point want recognition of custodianship should one or the other partners have a child from a previous marriage or through adoption.

Business partnerships also ensure each other and spell out what is to occur upon dissolution of the partnership, such as the death of a partner. Not much different than the partner union the gays seek.

It appears you make the mistake that many make. Marriage exists as a union of a man and woman, a union in the eyes of God. The state acknowledges this institution and by law gives it certain deference. It is this second part that certain partners seek to inure to themselves in a civil union.