The New York Daily News reports today that State Senator Greg Ball, a key voter in the fight for statewide marriage equality, told Governor Cuomo he will not support same-sex marriage legislation unless individuals and business as well as religious groups maintain the ability to sidestep the state’s discrimination laws if they oppose gay unions.
26 Democratic senators currently support the gay marriage bill, but advocates will need to win six more votes in order to pass the measure. With Ball among the critical seven or eight senators still undecided, his argument carries definite weight.
However, while religious exemptions have passed in previous years, Catholic leaders now warn that the stark exemptions would impact a number of services should they apply to a statewide same-sex marriage law.
Services under religious auspices, including some adoption and foster-care providers, wedding-hall rentals through churches and synagogues and even Knights of Columbus facilities, would be forced to either break with their religious teachings and cater to same-sex couples or cease to offer their services under current anti-discrimination laws within the state of New York.
Many gay rights groups say that such concerns are exaggerated, but that may not be enough to sway swing voters as campaign efforts draw to a close.
Nope. Reject it, democrats. While it is Okay to craft special, unnecessary, legislation for the religious neanderthals, it is not Okay to allow certain business to discriminate. This is a violation of the prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation. A business, or organization, that receives state of federal tax benefits, (except the religious neanderthals), is expected to follow the law exactly like everyone else.
Get rid of the bum Republican holding this hostage.
Gee, have religious institutions EVER been required to perform marriages for ANYONE? Not as far as I can tell! Atheist couples are allowed to marry, Muslim couples are allowed to marry … but mosques have never been forced to host weddings for Atheist couples, and Catholic churches have never been forced to host weddings for Muslim couples.
The whole notion that religious institutions might be “forced” to conduct Gay weddings is nothing but fear-mongering.
Anyway, the only things that churches can offer (or deny) to any couple is a ceremony. None of the legal benefits, protections, and responsibilities of marriage come from the church, they come from the government. And the fact remains that that there is simply no Constitutional justification for denying law-abiding, taxpaying Gay couples the same legal benefits that Straight couples have always taken for granted