Well, I think I recall that very few states in the U.S. recognize common-law marriages - although most make provisions for some sort of recognition of long-term opposite-sex unions. some have begun to make similar provisions for same-sex unions.

I'm a Catholic, and I've noticed that many Catholic right-wingers have joined the fundamentalist Christians in opposing health insurance and any sort of benefits for same-sex couples. An odd bishop here or then may have joined the anti-benefits movement, but I don't see an overwhelmingly large movement among Catholics to oppose benefits to same-sex couples. It's the same right-wing whackos, but they pretend to speak in the name of the entire church. Those people have papered our church parking lot with anti-gay flyers twice in the last year, and our Irish pastor was darn angry about it.

It might be very difficult to push through legislation to approve same-sex marriage in the U.S. - but if gys are willing to let that issue drop for ten years or so, there might be pretty good support for approval for same-sex couples receiving most of the benefits married couples get.

-Joe Offer-