Reply #5: One mor thing: I remeber a poll in 2003 that said that when [View All]

[AP]

people were asked if they believed same sex couples should be able to pass their estates tax free, have rights to see their partner in the hospital, and have the same burdens and benefits of partenthood (including having to provide child support after separation in appropriate circumstances) something like 66% of those surveyed said yes. When asked if they should be able to marry, the numbers were the inverse.

So I'm going to have to dispute your assumptions their, dsc. I think the public (and especially an informed public) would go for civil unions in a hear beat.