Civil Unions are available in 5 U.S. states: Delaware (beginning January 1, 2012), Hawaii (beginning January 1, 2012), Illinois, New Jersey and Rhode Island.
According to Equality Matters, Civil Unions in Hawaii, Illinois and New Jersey afford rights that are either equal or "near equal" to marriage on same-sex couples.
I believe the situation is the same in Delaware and Rhode Island, but have not been able to find confirmation.
AnswerAlmostor nearly is not equal. When we speak of rights we are speaking of legal rights. Two legal statuses are not equal if they are nearly the same. There are not different degrees of sameness. That is the overriding issue for activists in the United States that lobby for same sex marriage.Legal rights associated with marriage are already well established under the law. Most civil union statutes and domestic partnership statutes enumerate the various rights that enure to those legal designations. Any state law that benefits parties who are legally married would not automatically transfer to the parties in civil same sex arrangements apart from marriage unless the law creating the status states that specifically the parties will enjoy all the benefits of marriage. In most cases civil unions and domestic partnerships (actually two names for the same concept) provide limited rights in the united States.
You can read more about both civil unions and domestic partnerships and their respective state laws at the related links.
Yes, the state of Oregon recognizes domestic partnerships performed in other states as Oregon state registered domestic partnerships which provide the same rights and responsibilities as legal marriage in Oregon.
Yes, the state of Oregon recognizes domestic partnerships performed in other states as Oregon state registered domestic partnerships which provide the same rights and responsibilities as legal marriage in Oregon.
Yes, the state of Oregon recognizes domestic partnerships performed in other states as Oregon state registered domestic partnerships which provide the same rights and responsibilities as legal marriage in Oregon.
Generally yes. The existence of a domestic partnership is not a bar to marriage to someone else. The only exceptions are domestic partnerships formed in states such as California, where statewide domestic partnerships are substantially equivalent to marriage and are accepted as legal marriages in some jurisdictions. If your state recognizes your domestic partnership as a marriage, then you may not marry someone else until you have dissolved your domestic partnership.
This will depend on the laws of the various states. Some will probably declare those partnerships to be unions unless the partners object; others will declare them to be void after a period of time unless "converted" to marriages; still others may continue to offer both domestic partnerships and marriages.
Entering into a domestic partnership can provide legal protections and benefits similar to marriage, such as healthcare coverage and inheritance rights. However, domestic partnerships may not be recognized in all states and do not offer the same level of legal recognition and rights as marriage.
It doesn't. Although the US federal government recognizes same-sex marriage pursuant to the June 26, 2013 ruling of the US Supreme Court, it does not recognize domestic partnerships or civil unions. Consequently, for the purpose of the Medicare program, your domestic partner is not related to you.
In some instances, yes. A comprehensive state-registered domestic partnership (i.e., one from California, Nevada, Washington or Oregon) will be recognized as identical to a same-sex marriage by most US states that permit same-sex couples to marry. Wisconsin's domestic partnership is not comprehensive and therefore not recognized as a marriage by any state. States that do not permit same-sex marriage do not recognize any civil union or domestic partnership as a marriage. Nevada only recognizes its own domestic partnerships, not any other state's.
Vermont (now replaced with marriage).Connecticut (now replaced with marriage).New Hampshire (now replaced with marriage).New Jersey.Illinois.Hawaii.Delaware.Rhode Island.California.Nevada.Maine (now replaced with marriage).Maryland (now replaced with marriage).Oregon.Wisconsin.Washington (now replaced with marriage).Colorado.
California;Oregon;Maryland;New Jersey;Washington state;Nevada;Maine; and,Wisconsin.
Washington, DC, which is the only city in the United States to have legalized same-sex marriage. The District of Columbia is the only city in the country that is part of any state. In the United States, marriage laws are controlled by the states, not cities. No city has the authority to pass laws concerning marriage. This is why some municipalities have passed local laws concerning domestic partnerships.
Yes. Although same-sex marriage is not currently legal in California, state law explicitly states that parties to a domestic partnership or out-of-state civil union (or out-of-state same-sex marriage) have exactly the same legal rights as a married couple. As for out-of-state domestic partnerships, this is true only of "comprehensive" domestic partnerships that are substantially similar to marriage.