Civil Unions Are An Option To Gay Marriage in Four States In The U.S.

Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont are currently the only states that permit same-sex couples to enter into Civil Unions. As with Gay Marriage, the same pro and con arguments exist when it comes to Civil Union's for same sex couples. However, Civil Unions do provide the Gay and Lesbian community with a step forward towards the ultimate goal - Gay Marriage.

Civil Unions, just like Domestic Partnerships and Gay Marriage/Gay Wedding rights vary from state-to-state. For the most part, a Civil Union is a form of relationship recognition that gives same-sex couples all the state-level benefits of marriage (though not federal rights). These rights also, for the most part, require similar legal processing requirements as do an actual marriage. See suggested resources below for information and assistance.

There are many adovocacy groups - Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Lambda Legal, and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) - who work tirelessly and relentlessly on behalf of our community for our rights to marry or at least participate in celebrations through Civil Unions or Domestic Partnerships. We invite you to visit these organizations websites for additional information. If you would like to add a website to to this page regarding Civil Unions, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .