Civil union

A civil union is one of several terms for a civil status similar to marriage, typically created for the purposes of allowing same-sex couples access to the benefits enjoyed by married opposite-sex couples (see also same-sex marriage); it can also be used by opposite-sex couples who do not prefer to enter into the legal institution of marriage but who would rather be in a union more similar to a common-law marriage.

Related Topics:
Marriage - Same-sex - Opposite-sex - Same-sex marriage - Common-law marriage

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many different types of civil unions exist. Some are identical to marriage in nearly every respect except name; some have many but not all of the rights accorded to married couples (sometimes called registered partnerships); some are simple registries (also called domestic partnerships.)

Related Topics:
Registered partnership - Domestic partnership

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some jurisdictions that have passed civil unions include Vermont (2000) and Connecticut (2005) in the United States; Quebec and Nova Scotia in Canada; France and Denmark (1989), Norway (1993), Sweden (1994), Iceland (1996), Finland (2000), Germany (2001), Portugal (2001), the Swiss canton of Zürich (2002), the Argentine city of Buenos Aires (2003), and New Zealand (2005) and the Australian state of Tasmania (2004).

Related Topics:
Vermont - Connecticut - United States - Quebec - Nova Scotia - Canada - France - Denmark - Norway - Sweden - Iceland - Finland - Germany - Portugal - Swiss - Canton - Zürich - Argentine - Buenos Aires - New Zealand - Australian - Tasmania

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2001, the Netherlands gave same-sex marriage equal status with opposite-sex marriage, in addition to its 1998 "registered partnership" law (civil union) for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. Belgium did likewise in 2003. Between June 2003 and June 2005, courts in eight provinces and one territory of Canada extended marriage to include same-sex couples. Bill C-38, extending same-sex marriage throughout Canada, became law in 2005. Gay marriage is also legal in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. See same-sex marriage.

Related Topics:
Netherlands - Same-sex marriage - Marriage - Belgium - Bill C-38 - U.S. - Massachusetts

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A much larger number of jurisdictions, largely individual municipalities and counties, have passed rules to register same-sex unions; for information on this, see domestic partnership.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In July 2004, the U.S. state of New Jersey enacted a law that is virtually the same as a typical civil union, giving same-sex couples most of the rights associated with marriage. Although the state government uses the term domestic partnership to denote these new unions, the law in fact gives many more rights than those given by the domestic partnerships of most other jurisdictions, and so the New Jersey situation is more often related to civil unions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In November 2004, the United Kingdom passed a law using the terminology civil partnership, conferring the legal rights associated with marriage to registered gay couples.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~