Regarding "marriage" vs. "civil union".

First I am going to preface this with some things about me. I am a straight male, a law student, and hold a wonderful cocktail of religious and philosophical beliefs.

"Marriage" is a religiously loaded word, or at least the Religious Right would like us to believe. And, studying the Constitution I would love to see us, as a nation, divorce the term "marriage" when it comes to the bundle of legal rights we are willing to confer on committed couples (heterosexual in most states for now).

I think it would be an excellent blow for both LGBT rights and for separation between church and state (something all too often forgotten especially by Santorum) and have the legal rights and the religiously significant term 100% separate. Let people apply for "Civil Union" licenses in order to get their tax breaks and visitation rights. Give the Right "marriage" and let them have it. And send a strong message saying that while we tolerate your freedom to practice your religion we do not tolerate the forcing of one group's beliefs on society as a whole.

Further, I think, as the state senator said implicitly, it is much more difficult to argue against a bundle of purely legal rights than to take on such a loaded term.

My answer to DOMA would be to pass another bill, not repealing DOMA, let it stand for all I care, but stating that from now on all Federal rights conferred by "marriage" and to "married couples" will now be conferred to those with "civil unions."

Two birds with one stone.