Others, including ourselves, disagree.

We consider them no different than the "Separate but Equal" accommodations outlawed in the U.S. Supreme Court decision BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). In that case, the Topeka, Kansas Board of Education defended its practice of having separate schools for Blacks and Whites. They contended that as long as the schools were equal in quality, having separate schools for the races was fine since there was no advantage given to one group over the other. The same claim is made by those advocating “Marriage” only for straights and “Civil Unions” for gays.

Having separate schools, separate drinking fountains, separate rest rooms, etc…for Blacks were part of the dreaded “Jim Crow” laws which treated Blacks as second class citizens. Those advocating them claimed that they didn’t harm Blacks since the water in both the White and Black drinking fountains was equally cold and clear and that the back of the bus gets to the bus stop just as fast as the front of the bus. “Where’s the harm?”, they ask.

We have discovered however, that "Separate but Equal" is rarely “equal”. This is the case with “Civil Unions” as well. They, like the separate schools for Blacks, denote a second class status. In George Orwell's book condemning Soviet Communism, Animal Farm, he writes of farm animals overthrowing their human owner with the animals then declaring, "All animals are equal". Too soon, however, the pigs, who have styled themselves as leaders, allow themselves special privileges which the others aren’t allowed to have. After offering hypocritical rationales, they justify their claim to these "Special Rights" by saying that “all animals are equal, but some are ‘more equal’ than others." They believed that the others were indeed second class compared to themselves.

Those wanting to deny gays their right to marriage, even if they promote civil unions, are implying that heterosexuals are more equal than gays and that gays don't deserve equality. Some even believe that gays aren't really after equality but rather "Special Rights". Equal rights aren't special rights.

We also know that Black only schools are "more equal" with White only schools than Civil Unions are with Marriage. Not only are Civil Unions viewed as second class to Marriage but there are also objective differences. Civil Unions aren't legally recognized by other states, the federal government, or other countries, while marriages are recognized by them. Marriage is far "more equal" than the best Civil Union law. Civil Unions are clearly contrary, at least in spirit, to the ban on "Separate but Equal" accommodations outlawed in the U.S. Supreme Court decision BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).

"Separate but Equal" and "more equal" are morally repugnant to American ideals. Both apply to Civil Unions when compared to Marriage and therefore they are morally wrong, even if gays are given some measure of legal rights.