Before I took this course I didn’t understand the difference between marriage and civil unions. I always wondered why the LGBT community was so persistent about legalizing same-sex marriage when it could just opt for civil unions. However, after taking this course I have learned that there IS a difference between marriage and civil unions.
To begin with, marriages are recognized across countries, cultures, and religions; civil unions are not. Civil unions are not recognized in all states. This means that if a couple gets a civil union in state and moves to another state, that state might not recognize the civil union. This depends on the state’s policy. Also, in a marriage a citizen can sponsor his or her spouse for immigration into the U.S. Citizens with a civil union can’t do this. Lastly, the federal government doesn’t recognize civil unions. This means that couples that get civil unions aren’t able to file joint-tax returns. They have to file individual tax returns. They’re also not are eligible for tax breaks or protections that the government provides married couples with.
These are the reasons why the LGBT community will not conform to civil unions. If you want to see a more extensive explanation on the differences between marriages and civil unions see this helpful article.
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