Vermont's experience with civil unions since 2000 has shown us that people are more than ready to accept the idea of two people of the same gender should receive legal recognition for a committed relationship. The world as we knew it hardly changed at all for the larger population, though it did for that portion seeking a measure of equality. The fact that civil unions are so unremarkable today is perhaps the best testimony to their acceptance.

The years have also shown civil unions to be unequal to marriage, both in the views of society and in legal terms. Federal laws do not recognize same-sex unions when it comes to areas such as taxation and survivor benefits. Without state recognition of marriage, there is little grounds for challenging federal limitations on same-sex couples.