Quote Originally Posted by rvg View Post
[C]ivil unions [..] would have generated pretty much zero amount of controversy.
I find this statement strange. In states that took steps to ban gay marriage, they also made sure to outlaw civil unions and same-sex contracts such as power of attorney. There was nothing subtle about it. If a lesbian wants to visit her long-term partner in the hospital, there is no way to do it in VA. So I'm curious to hear why you think civil unions would excite zero controversy; people who can't stomach gays don't appear to make such fine distinctions.

Quote Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube View Post
The rest of us mostly just shake our heads and wonder why Civil Unions haven't been instituted all-round
Every sane person I know supports this idea, but then, every sane person I know believes marijuana should be decriminalized and taxed. There are specific reasons elected officials won't touch these ideas, despite their self-evident sanity and prudence.