privatizing and deregulating marriage would not allow the government to promote gender equality within families that are structured by marriage. These families would be structured and governed primarily by private marriage customs and practices that are free from state regulation. Privatizing marriage would therefore give private organizations, including discriminatory ones, more of an influence over the institution of marriage without giving the individuals negatively affected the protection provided by having access to the civil union status given by the public institution of marriage. Another issue with privatizing marriage is that it is equivalent to an assortment of privately negotiated contracts that the state enforces and protects