PLATTSBURGH — Brian Murphy recently left a pair of shoes with Sen. Joseph Bruno’s staff, asking the New York representative to walk a mile in his shoes.
The California man was one of 32 young adults who fanned out across New York to meet with residents and legislators in support of the New York State Equality of Marriage Act and the right for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender New Yorkers to marry.
“There’s such a need for this,” Murphy said when eight members of Soulforce Q, a national interfaith organization, stopped in Plattsburgh during their two-week Right to Marry Campaign across the state.
“Marriage is a right that should be protected for everyone.”
RIGHTS VIOLATION
Murphy, who plans to move to New York City, says that withholding the right to marry violates gay residents’ civil rights, as he says similar laws did to both slaves and interracial couples at times in history.
“It seems shocking now, but it was only about 40 years ago that interracial couples were allowed to marry,” said Katie Higgins, the director of operations for the young-adult group.
“I hope that some day we will look back on this and be just as shocked.”
For the non-violent activist group, not permitting gays and lesbians to marry is a breach of rights that denies them access to numerous benefits, such as insurance and health-care options, that are guaranteed to straight married couples.
RELIGIOUS VIEW
Though many opponents of the proposed legislation cite religious objections to the bill, Soulforce Q says that is not a reason to dismiss the civil right to marry since private religious beliefs should not impact the law-making process.
“We’re taking this as another civil-rights movement; it has nothing to do with religion. We want to get that dialogue going, but it’s a civil-rights issue we’re talking about,” Higgins said.
They say that many same-sex couples share the same long, loving relationships as married couples but are denied access to the everyday benefits that are guaranteed through marriage, such as hospital visitation and Social Security entitlements.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize what marriage means because they take it for granted,” said 21-year-old Robert Fojtik, who became involved in his first Soulforce Q campaign last year, to challenge the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
“It’s about equality and being given the same protections that everyone else is entitled to.”
Soulforce Q riders, or volunteers, say legalized gay marriage would also strengthen same-sex couples’ roles as parents by providing easier adoption and custody processes and by giving their children the stability and security of having their family socially and legally recognized.
LIMITS
In the United States, only Massachusetts has legalized gay marriage.
Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut and, recently, New Hampshire have legalized civil unions.
Some states, including Washington and Oregon, provide limited marriage rights to same-sex couples through legalized domestic-partner laws.
Higgins said marriage should be a privilege for everyone and that by not allowing gay marriage, lawmakers are not only devaluing gay New Yorkers’ civil rights, but their love and lives as well.
“We want people to open their minds and hearts,” she said.
Soulforce Q riders are also campaigning to have 1,000 pairs of shoes sent to Bruno’s office in support of current legislation.
“We need you (legislators and New Yorkers) to hear our story and learn about our lives,” she said.
E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at:
avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com
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