Summary
Near the end of the 2007 legislative session, the New York State Assembly passed a bill introduced by Gov. Eliot Spitzer that would authorize same sex “marriage” in New York State, becoming the first state legislative body outside of California to pass such a bill without a judicial mandate. The New York State Senate did not act on the bill. Newspaper editorial boards and homosexual advocates will surely exert pressure on the Republican majority in the Senate to pass a same sex “marriage” or “civil union” bill this year.

Conference Position
The Catholic Conference will oppose efforts to legalize the union of same-sex couples, whether called “marriages” or “civil unions.”

Rationale
Marriage is not merely a private arrangement between two individuals, but is of vital concern to all members of our society.  Throughout recorded history marriage between a man and a woman has been humanity’s way of assuring the procreation, education and stable rearing of children. It is inextricably linked to the complementary and procreative nature of men and women.

Laws to grant equivalent marital status to homosexual couples undermine marriage by removing from it the link to procreation. In effect, heterosexual marriage becomes simply one more lifestyle choice, no more preferable to society than cohabitation, single parenting or same sex relationships. Empirical evidence tells us clearly that children do better in nearly all aspects of life when they are raised in a family with a mother and a father. This is why the state has an interest in promoting marriage, and why a redefinition of marriage that removes children and their best interests from the equation is bad for society.

Homosexual men and women must be treated at all times with the human dignity befitting children of God.  It is true that homosexual persons sometimes face unjust discrimination in certain areas, which we strongly oppose. But the state need not overturn the very nature of marriage as it has always been understood to address such practices.  Clearly, the state can review whatever benefits or privileges that it has through the years conferred on married couples and, in cases where true discrimination may be at play, fashion legislative remedies. However, this must be done outside of the context of redefining the fundamental building block of our culture.