'Defending marriage' in practice

A Michigan appeal court has ruled that the state ban on gay marriage, passed by referendum in 2004, means that universities cannot provide health insurance or other benefits to the same-sex partners of employees., the court also noted that this applies to unmarried heterosexual couples as the wording of the ban is “the union of one man or one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose.” An example of what these bans mean in practice probably much more than many of those who voted for them intend, although I suspect it would be welcomed by those who placed these initiatives on the ballot in the first place. However the American Catholic Church as an employer and public voice is taking a different position on civil partnerships.