Hooray For Civil Unions, Boo For Inequality

So Illinois was finally able to pass a Civil Unions bill. Last week both the state House and Senate passed the legislation allowing for the State to legally recognize the union between me and my husband, at least in some fashion less than it recognizes hetero couples unions.

It's Grrrreat!

I'll start off by saying I am ecstatic that the state I live in has passed some level of recognition, something beyond the cute piece of paper the City of Chicago offers. When my husband and I started looking at all the paperwork and legal shenanigans we'd have to pull just to get some of the same rights as straight married couples, I got a slight sense of vertigo. And that's not even to mention the cost involved with all that!

For example, to ensure that we legally had the right to make medical decisions for each other when we unable to do so for ourselves, we had to fill out forms, have them notarized, then file said forms with our doctor, our lawyer, and any hospitals or other medical facilities we visited. Then we had to ensure that we had copies with us, just in case. Then we had to hope that a given facility would honor it, much less allow us to be together considering we aren't "family." (Yes, Obama has changed regulations to ensure that same-sex couples have visitation rights, but it's new and implementation is still questionable)

So once our marriage is legally recognized by the State of Illinois as a Civil Union, we can forget about all that and simply show proof of our union if any questions arise.

But Not Perfect...

I do still have problems with the idea of Civil Unions though. Regardless of what rights they may confer to us, they are still something "other than" and "less than" marriage. Quite literally, they offer less rights than a Marriage. And they are the only option available to queer couples right now, which means we have created a Separate but (less) Equal institution.

What's even more infuriating about it? Straight people can take part in Civil Unions at their discretion. Meaning they can take advantage of the lack of rights specific rights offered by Civil Unions. For example, widows/widowers who may be receiving pensions from deceased spouses' former employers will likely lose those pensions if they re-marry. But now they can take advantage of a Civil Union, which is quite pointedly NOT a marriage, and receive many of the right and benefits of a Marriage without losing those pensions.

Basically, straight couples can pick and choose what is best for them. Queer couples cannot. We are given one option, take it or leave it. In creating Civil Unions, we have granted even more rights to our heterosexual friends while granting ourselves some basic rights, which just moves the inequality marker further down the field rather than bringing us actually closer to full equality.

A Delicious Appetizer

To be sure, I'm happy to be able to have my marriage recognized in Illinois. But I'm not satisfied. It's like getting a really great one-ounce steak: It may be delicious, but it's just not enough. I won't say no to it, but I certainly will not be satiated with it, especially when I see my neighbors being offered a choice between a one-ounce steak and a full twelve-ounce steak.