Same-Sex Marriage in NY?

In this article in NY Times, Governor Paterson of New York recently revealed a same-sex marriage bill that would allow these marriages in New York. Paterson compares the fight for homosexual rights to other civil rights movements, such as women’s suffrage and African-American rights. By linking this bill to such well-known and successful civil rights movements, he is hoping that the people of New York will take action and show support for this bill. Paterson, although a Catholic, stated that

“It is not the state’s place to define marriage in a way that excludes a segment
of the population from the legal benefits associated with marriage.”

It looks like Paterson is leaving the decision of whether or not gay marriage is a sin to the churches and attempting to enforce equal legal rights to all people. When asked about the differing statements of the new archbishop of New York on the matter, Paterson said that all religious leaders are entitled to their opinions, but that New York is a civil government and therefore should seek to provide equal rights to everyone.
In my opinion, Paterson’s statements are convincing in their ability to support the separation of church and state. Even if the church’s opinion of gay marriage is that it is sinful, every person should be entitled to equal rights under the law. By prohibiting gay couples to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual married couples, the basic premise of American democracy of “equality for all” is compromised. The way Paterson relates this fight for equal rights to other, previous civil rights’ action is also a good analogy that makes the listener realize how America has changed and the necessity of change. It would be difficult to argue that African-Americans or women do not deserve certain rights based on one element, and Paterson makes this analogy that homosexuals should not be denied their rights based solely on their sexuality. It looks as though there is a lot of support for this bill in New York and it will be interesting to follow its progress to see if it joins the other four states that allow same-sex marriages.