Facebook Adds "Civil Union" and "Domestic Partnership" Options

This is an interesting cultural advance. Facebook has decided to add two more options to "Relationship Status": in a civil union and in a domestic partnership.

The 600 million user social networking behemoth made a small change to its ‘Relationship Status’ drop down box today, and in doing so recognized ‘In a civil union’ and ‘In a domestic partnership’ as valid choices in the way one can report their personal relationship on the site.

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Starting in Denmark in 1989 and spreading to some 30 plus countries, the concept of civil unions was created to ensure that same-sex couples received the same rights, benefits, and were subject to the same legal responsibilities as opposite-sex couples. The concept is highly controversial with both supporters and detractors for what is commonly referred to as gay marriage, the former believes it does not grant rights equivalent to marriage and thus holds them at a second lesser status, the latter holds that civil unions legitimize a type of relationship that should not be sanctioned by the state.

It should be noted that there are numerous states which have the option of civil unions and domestic partnerships: Illinois, New Jersey,  California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada with Hawaii and possibly Colorado joining the list soon.

Of course, marriage equality is the law in Vermont, Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut and the District of Columbia with Maryland and possibly New York joining this list soon.