When this issue first came to light, I thought that civil unions that granted the same rights as marriage would be a good solution. What I didn't understand then is that our society has ingrained the "married == good" so deeply into our collective psyches that most people, even gay and lesbian people, have a very deep emotional connection to that status.

As funny as this may sound, what changed my mind was the song Married By Elvis (http://www.barlowonline.com/MarriedByElvis.html).