RIGHTS.

Here's just a short list of rights married couples have that domestic partnerships DO NOT:
(the protect marriage guys said there are equal rights, this is a lie.)

Hospital Visitation Rights - Married couples have the automatic right to visit each other in the hospital and make medical decisions. Same sex couples can be denied the right to visit a sick or injured partner in the hospital.

Health insurance - Same-sex couples have no automatic right to visit one another in the hospital or make medical decisions for one another. Having medical power of attorney documents may help, but there's no guarantee and hospital will recognize those documents.

Spousal Privilege - Same-sex couples have no right to refuse to testify against one another. So everything you say, write, email, fax, etc. to your partner is admissible in court and can be used against. you.

Inheritence- Same-sex couples have no automatic rights to inheritance in the absence of a will.

Family leave - Same-sex couples have no legally protected right to unpaid leave to care for an ill spouse.

Pensions - Most pension plans only pay survivor benefits to a legal spouse. Same-sex partners get no pension support for surviving partners.

Nursing homes - Same-sex couples have no legal right to live together in a nursing home and spend their final years together.

Home protection - The laws that protect married couples from being forced to sell their homes to cover high nursing home bills don't apply to same-sex couples. A same-sex partner can be forced to sell, and forced out of the home to satisfy nursing home bills if he/she lives in the home but does not own it.

Retirement Savings- Married people can roll over a deceased spouses 401(k) into an IRA without paying taxes. Same-sex partners must withdraw everything, pay income taxes on it, and lose the tax deferral benefits.

Taxes - Marries spouses may inherit unlimited property from a deceased spouse, tax free. Same-sex partners pay taxes on any amount over set state and federal limits.

Social Security benefits - Unless you're married, you get no Social Security from a dead spouse. If you have kids, they will get it and you may be custodian of it until they're adults.


http://lesbianlife.about.com/cs/wedding/a/unionvmarriage.htm