well-written and informative overview on how family structures have changed and questioning outdated assumptions.

One of the problems here is that Marriage has been associated with the government's requirement of the registration of a religious event. Whether or not a religious organization "recognizes" associations between believers and non-believers, blacks and whites, men and women, or any other group, or not, should not be confused with the State's responsibility of treating it's citizens without bias. How's about changing the definition of "Marriage" to be a religious construct (just as "Baptism," "Confirmation," or "Bar Mitzvah" are) and move the fight to its rightful domain: YOUR church!

An excellent commentary. People are truly individuals we are not all the same. Even if offended by someone else's choice does not give us the right to deny or limit.

Polikoff agues that gay marriage just exposes a problem that many (perhaps most) Californians face. The one-size-fits-all marriage contract fits almost no one very well.

Even though this article doesn't list all the issues regarding domestic relations it gives enough examples to form a picture of a broader spectrum. I believe that anyone who tends towards prejudice against domestic partnerships should open their minds and realize there are reasons that instituting more rights for non-traditional unions is not a threat to traditional unions.

So often this issue is reduced to righteous blather about the "institution of marriage", like it's the Fort Knox of Societal Norms. This op-ed brings up the more relevant points about the separate and unequal status accorded to those who for whatever reason don't or can't fulfill the stodgy requirements for a marriage "club membership".

The article includes measured and thoughtful examination of issues and sub-issues. Worthy of a tour. Tangentially, the video "Inlaws and Outlaws" has an engaging look at the underlying humanity in love relations across all permutations of gender ( http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809864986/info ).