Jim;
Insurance papers, tax papers, will not be reprinted to say civil unions; that is an expense they are un-willing to incur. And what of child portability ? Do you know that over 1,000,000 children have been adopted in this country by gay couples ? A sibling or parent can step in and take the child away from the surviving partner, no questions asked. Then there are medical orders that are drawn up in an attorney's office saying DNR, and the partner can take those papers to the hospital, and have those legal papers over-ruled by the partner who is in a life and death situation. They can also tell the hospital that the partner is not allowed near their son or daughter, brother or sister, etc. These are but a few problems with the civil unions.