State Dept confirms that civil partnerships & unions don't count for new same-sex visa rules

[Catherina]

The statement is at minute 8. This is going to affect a lot of legally-recognized LGBT couples overseas. I hope they reconsider this.

[hr]

Civil union, also referred to as civil partnership or registered partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in several mostly developed countries in order to provide legal recognition of relationships formed by unmarried same-sex couples and to afford them rights, benefits, and responsibilities similar (in some countries, identical) to those of legally married couples. In some jurisdictions of Brazil, New Zealand, Uruguay, Ecuador, France and the U.S. states of Colorado, Hawaii and Illinois, civil unions are also open to opposite-sex couples.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_union

[Bluenorthwest]

1. Remember the days when the 'gradualists' would insist that civi unions were as

good as marriage? Guess they were wrong.

[Catherina]

3. Yes. I'm trying to understand the State Dept's logic

It makes no sense. France didn't even have same-sex marriage until May. England just introduced it a 3 weeks ago and in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, all you can get is a civil union. Now please. Now.

[treestar]

2. They don't count if they are heterosexual either

IMO it's big progress if gay spouses of citizens can get a green card like straight ones can.