If civil unions and marriages are the same, then why do they have different names? The reason why is that marriage is treated as a bulwark of traditionalism, and something we are not allowed to participate in. Because they are on a technical level not marriage, civil unions can never acquire the same respect from society that marriage has. Symbolic, yes, but a crucial distinction. As a citizen who fulfills all the responsibilites of citizenship, I expect to enjoy all of its privileges.
I would now like you to provide me a legitimate reason for only allowing civil unions, other than mollifying social conservatives.
These are the same arguments i made when it came up originally.