Federal marriage: Eno, I'm much in favor of your suggestion, removing governmental benefits and preferences vis a vis marriage. Religious institutions, the traditional body performing the ceremony and recognizing the status of marriage, have the right to make their own rules and discriminations and people have the right to disavow organizations they don't agree with. The problem is that many modern marriages are not performed by religious figures, but rather by a civil authority (hmmm, civil...where have I heard that word before).

I think you would agree that a marriage ceremony performed by a government authority, be it judge, politician, or the captain of the good ship Lolly Pop, ought not care about the sex of the participants. I don't think there's much difference between a marriage and a civil union, but the difference is important for at least symbolic reasons to gays. It may be a technicality that is the deciding factor, but legal decisions are often rendered based on technicalities in our system. Let it be so in this case, then.