Equality practice : civil unions and the future of gay rights
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (p. 243-268) and index.

In April of 2000, Vermont legalized civil unions for same-sex couples, a landmark for gay rights. But would this consign couples to a "separate but equal" status that would ultimately prove unequal? No, argues Equality Practice, showing why lesbians and gays should support compromises like Vermont's law without giving up on full formal equality. Equality in practice will not only deliver the legal rights and duties same-sex couples need -- tax benefits, health insurance, property rights, and parental arrangements -- but also will help create conditions under which lesbians and gay men are more likely to win fully equal treatment of their relationships by the state