Marriage Bill introduced by Spitzer

Gov. Eliot Spitzer finally introduced a bill today to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.

The main provisions of the marriage bill are : a marriage that is otherwise valid under the law will be valid regardless of the sex of the individuals; Government treatment, legal status, and all rights, benefits, privileges, protections or responsibilities relating to marriage will be equal for all individual parties who enter into marriage regardless of the sex of their partner; no application for a marriage license will be denied on the grounds that the parties are of the same, or a different, sex, and in consideration of private, ethical and religious beliefs, no clergy member or religious institution will be compelled to perform any marriage.

Mr. Spitzer accepted that he doesn’t expect the bill to pass, but introducing this bill was a statement of principle and would carry symbolic weight as advocates tried to build broader support for same-sex marriage.