That's what I meant by "I suppose this might vary from country to country". I'd have thought it might be a better strategy to get rid of anomalies like that directly in those places where they apply.

My understanding is that in the UK marriages and civil unions are pretty much the same thing, so that the argument is pretty trivial. The controversy here seems to be about the fact that heterosexual couples who don't wish to go through a marriage ceremony cannot opt for the civil partnership one. (I have some difficulty in understanding why they should,given that they are effectively equivalent.)