Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships: Civil Union

In 1997, the Vermont Supreme Court held in Baker v. Vermont that same-sex couples are entitled to the same protections as married couples pursuant to Vermont’s Constitution. The court directed the state legislature to decide a proper remedy. After numerous public hearings, the Vermont Legislature crafted the Vermont Civil Union Law establishing a parallel system of rights and benefits exclusively for same-sex couples. The statute has no residency requirement; thus close to 90% of the civil unions issued have been for residents of other states. The rights attached to a civil union are enforceable in Vermont. It is not clear whether other states will recognize Vermont’s civil unions.