[hackinthebochs]

>The same reason "separate but equal" wasn't good enough for black people in the mid 20th century: It isn't equal at all

"Separate but equal" when it comes to schools is very different than equality under the law; the latter being much easier to achieve and can be rectified by law when it falls short. Separate but equal in schools is intrinsically unequal, this is not true for civil unions. I know that the attempts to hitch gay marriage to the civil rights wagon is a stumbling block for some people.