The problem is in the historic relationship of civil and church marriage -- civil marriage law, like much of American and other Western jurisprudence -- is evolved in part from canonical law. Civil marriage stills carries a stigma of permanence and solidarity from its roots in canonical marriage. The problem of civil unions and such are the question of taking civil marriage from its closely related status and see what that does to the perception of both heterosexual and homosexual marriage alike.

Ita a sticky thicket I personally don't like to comment much upon. I personally sympathize with the legitimate feelngs many gays have on the subject, but am still very keen on the rpeservation of our social institutions.