Opines social conservative pundit Rod Dreher: "We are losing
the gay marriage fight, and, in fact, have lost it already, though
not all of us know it yet. When the acceptance of civil-unions
protections for gay couples is the conservative position, then we
have been defeated." (Hat Tip: RichTafel.com)
Further: As the Washington Post reports, the advent of civil union ceremonies in Connecticut, granting all the state (but not federal) benefits/responsibilities of matrimony, "seemed too low-key to be a milestone in a cultural fight that has divided the nation." That's in marked contrast to the protests that ensued when Vermont instituted civil unions and Massachusetts provided for same-sex marriage.
Unlike domestic partnerships elsewhere, civil unions are more
akin to marriage in that the state issues licenses, and the unions
are solemnized by a justice of the peace who pronounces the couple
"partners in life."