instead of marriage, some countries or states offer homosexuals civil unions or domestic partnerships. this gives them some of the protections and benefits of marriage, but not all. civil unions and domestic partnerships are sometimes seen by the lgbt community as being 'second class' (not as good as 'first class'). they do offer some benefits for gay and lesbian couples, but they also suggest that these couples are not as important or valid as heterosexual couples. some people even say this is like the "separate but equal" rules that were used to segregate people by race in the united states. they believe that separate is "never" equal and homosexuals should not accept being second class citizens.