Domestic partnership

A domestic partnership is a legally recognized union between two people, similiar to same sex marriage. Domestic partnerships are usually between two people of the same gender but it is possible to have an opposite gender domestic partnership. Opponents of same sex marriage say it is essentially the same thing. Proponents argue that couples in a domestic partnership miss many of the benifits of legal marriage, and are being forced into a 'seperate but equal' status, much like blacks before the civil rights era. As of 2007, the states of California, Maine, New Jersey, Washington, and Oregon offer domestic partnership status, as does Washington, D.C.. Several other countries, such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and regions offer partnerships as well.