New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made his state the most recent battleground in the fight for marriage equality. If he succeeds in his effort to legalize gay marriage before the end of the state’s legislative session next month, New York will join Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Iowa and the District of Columbia in permitting same-sex couples to marry.
We support Cuomo’s effort. Not only is it something that a majority of New Yorkers are behind, it’s an important move toward equality for gays and lesbians.
In the big picture, the controversy over same-sex coupling demonstrates why the government — whether federal, state or local — has no business meddling in marriage at all. Marriage is an institution that can have any number of meanings — for couples, within communities of faith, or in society at large.
But there’s no reason it should demand official state recognition. Governments should stop short of recognizing marriage, and instead grant civil unions to all competent adult couples who seek them – regardless of sexual orientation.
Such civil unions should bring with them the same rights and responsibilities as today’s state-sanctioned marriages, without the controversial title of “marriage.”
Under such a system, if two people wanted to be married, they would be free to go to a church, synagogue or any other private marriage-granting institution. Such a policy would allow the government to remain neutral on the thorny issue of defining marriage, an issue best left to private institutions like churches.
In the meantime, so long as governments have a say in which couples are eligible for marriage, they should avoid discrimination. Which is why Gov. Cuomo’s push for marriage equality, while not ideal, is a step in the right direction.
We support Cuomo’s effort. Not only is it something that a majority of New Yorkers are behind, it’s an important move toward equality for gays and lesbians.
In the big picture, the controversy over same-sex coupling demonstrates why the government — whether federal, state or local — has no business meddling in marriage at all. Marriage is an institution that can have any number of meanings — for couples, within communities of faith, or in society at large.
But there’s no reason it should demand official state recognition. Governments should stop short of recognizing marriage, and instead grant civil unions to all competent adult couples who seek them – regardless of sexual orientation.
Such civil unions should bring with them the same rights and responsibilities as today’s state-sanctioned marriages, without the controversial title of “marriage.”
Under such a system, if two people wanted to be married, they would be free to go to a church, synagogue or any other private marriage-granting institution. Such a policy would allow the government to remain neutral on the thorny issue of defining marriage, an issue best left to private institutions like churches.
In the meantime, so long as governments have a say in which couples are eligible for marriage, they should avoid discrimination. Which is why Gov. Cuomo’s push for marriage equality, while not ideal, is a step in the right direction.
