[henry quirk]

"You want a civil partnership defined by a legal contract? get a civil union."

Better yet: just go to a shyster and have an idiosyncratic contract drawn up between you and your honey, one binding on the two of you, one granting each all the pleasures and burdens of living exclusively with the other and 'forsaking all others'.

With this: the gov (by way of the courts) can act as final arbiter in contract disputes but never as bestower of 'right'.

In fact: most couples (gay or straight) can do this now and cut out the middle man ('government').

Sure: it might cost a pretty penny in shyster fees, but not a one (gay or straight) has to wait for (or, fight for) the nation to 'accept' his or her proclivities.