Senator Orrin Hatch believes civil unions will solve the country's inequality issues while saving the word "marriage" for heterosexuals, the Salt Lake Tribune reports:
The senator made the comment Wednesday at the end of a wide-ranging interview on Logan station KVNU, where he also said he doesn't believe people choose to be gay, but "I draw the line on traditional marriage."
…Hatch, R-Utah, defended the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, and hopes the court will allow each state to handle this controversial issue on its own.
"I'll say this, I do believe this could be solved greatly by a civil-union law that would give gay people the same rights as married people," said Hatch, who mentioned hospital visitations and tax benefits. "I think we can solve this problem without undermining the very basis of marital law in our country."