What differences do you see between:
(a) existing civil marriages for straight couples
(b) the proposed gay partnerships
(c) your proposal for straight partnerships?

ISTM that (b) is designed to match (a) as closely as possible without scaring existing "sanctity of marriage" people, and that doesn't leave a lot of room for (c) to equal (b) without also equalling (a).

And if (c)=(a), why bother inventing it?

Opinions?