You might think that people don’t need marriage certificates to prove their love and obtain rights in the 21st century. Sometimes that simply is not correct.

Imagine this situation: your mum and dad have travlled from the state, province or country next to yours in order to visit you. Your dad, who always loved French Fries and eggs has a heart attack. He’s rushed to hospital. He needs surgery and you get to see him immediately, but your Mum is blocked by the staff because she’s not immediate family. Why? Because your parents have only a civil union. It’s not recognised where you live; maybe the hospital staff don’t speak the same language or they simply don’t ‘get’ what a civil union is. The nurse tells your Mother to calm down and go get a coffee!

How would you feel about that?  Furious, insulted, betrayed? Hopefully all of the above, because it would be outrageous. But it happens to lesbians and gays every day. And 90% of the world’s lesbians and gays don’t have access to even a civil union. Another reason why we need equality.