In May of 2012, President Obama publicly supported same-sex marriage (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/05/09/president-obama-supports-same-...). It is generally agreed upon that while a civil union is a function of the state, marriage is a function of the church. As such, legalizing same-sex marriage may actually have no legal standing.
I petition The White House to legalize civil unions for all Americans, regardless of their race, creed, color, sexual identification or orientation at the federal level, and to ensure the union is recognized at the state level. Not doing so will create pockets of intolerance and inequality in our country. This petition differs from RFMA both in the use of "civil unions", and the requirement of having the union recognized by the states.