The Wedding March
"Historically, marriage is a fluid institution and a barometer to see where our culture is at. [Changes in marriage law] mirror our nation's huge leaps forward in civil rights," says Miller. He points out that slaves were denied the right to marry, that women were once regarded as their husband's property, and that in many states, marriage across racial lines was until very recently against the law.

The Civil Union law that recently passed in Vermont, while clearly not the same as marriage, is still a huge step in the right direction, says Pizer. "As same sex couples join in civil unions and the sky doesn't fall, society's resistance to gay marriage will begin to wear down," she says.

It's important to realize, however, that most domestic partner laws still fall short of the numerous rights that come with marriage. "We have one right in California under the Domestic Partnership law: a gay person is allowed hospital visitation rights with their partner," says Miller, who points out, "We need to get hit by a car to exercise our one little right!"

The next time you feel discouraged by society's lack of support of gay partnerships, think of the progress that has been made. Says Pizer: "Within every civil rights movement, the road towards the horizon is not a straight line. The point is, we are moving forward."