counterparts. In any event, the close association of male bonding ceremonies with forbidden sex eventually became too much to overlook as ever more severe sodomy laws were put into place. Such same-sex unions -- sometimes called "spiritual brotherhoods" -- forged irrevocable bonds between the men involved. Often they involved missionaries about to set off on foreign voyages, but lay male couples also entered into them. Other than the gender of the participants, it was difficult to distinguish the ceremonies from typical marriages. Twelfth-century liturgies for same-sex unions, for example, involved the pair joining their right hands at the altar, the recital of marriage prayers, and a ceremonial kiss. So maybe same-sex unions are nearly as "untraditional" as their opponents think they are. 1 As noted in the comments, this may not be true. Nonetheless it is beyond dispute that women's rights in marriage were fairly limited well into the 20th Century. About Doug Mataconis Doug is an attorney in private practice in Northern Virginia. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May, 2010 and also writes at Below The Beltway . Follow Doug on Twitter | Facebook This is why the government doesn't need to be in this business. Let the churches and religious organizations have this one. Most of the courts seem to feel that if a couple have been together a certain amount of time, then property ownership is