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"Why in the h*ll is the social security administration accepting civil union documents from Vermont?
Are those people eligible for benefits via civil unions?
This is outrageous...."

No it's not. Civil Unions are, despite what this article seems to imply, the same thing as marriage. While they do entitle Vermontians who enter into them certain marriage-esque benefits, there are many benefits that are left marriage-only. And keep in mind, that's on the state level - unless I'm mistaken, on the Federal level, Civil Unions entitle one to no benefits at all, really.

Also, despite common public perception, Civil Unions are NOT simply same-sex affairs, though most of the people entering into them are. Civil Unions are open to any couple of any gender(s).

Civil Unions are not marriage, they are a related, but still quite different, state-only institution, which I recall even GWB said he supported at one point (in order to at least quiet down all the furor over his opinion of full-fledged same-sex marriages). Please get your facts straight before you reply to something like this next time.

That said... it was still absolutely abhorrent for them not to except ANY marriage licenses at all in those areas, simply because of a few mayors' decisions.

More proof that the SSA sucks (if you'll pardon my crude language).

-Runa