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Fact Sheet: Why Marriage Fairness Matters (2011)
Marriage is the ultimate expression of love and commitment. Married couples make a public vow of love and responsibility to each other.
Like everyone else, gay and lesbian New Yorkers want to express their love and protect their families through marriage. Two adults who make this private, personal choice should not be denied the opportunity to legally marry just because they are gay or lesbian.
It’s time that our lawmakers do what’s fair and extend marriage rights to all New Yorkers. Governor Cuomo has pledged to sign a marriage fairness bill into law. The State Assembly has passed a marriage bill once before and is poised to do it again.
Momentum is on our side. A majority of New Yorkers support marriage fairness. An April 2011 Sienna College poll found that 58 percent of New Yorkers support fair marriage laws. That's a sea change since 2004, when 55 percent opposed marriage fairness.
It’s time for the State Senate to do the right thing for New York families and vote to extend the freedom to marry to gay and lesbian couples.
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