A civil union is a legally recognized relationship between members of a same-sex couple, with rights similar to those of a marriage relationship.
In Oregon, civil unions are not specifically recognized as a legal status because the state has legalized same-sex marriage. Following the 2014 federal court decision in Geiger v. Kitzhaber, which declared Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, and the subsequent nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, same-sex couples in Oregon have the right to marry and receive all the associated legal benefits, protections, and responsibilities that marriage provides. Therefore, same-sex couples seeking legal recognition of their relationship in Oregon would pursue marriage rather than a civil union.