Albany is down to the wire this week on a wide range of issues and one of the biggest is same-sex marriage.\u00a0 The state Senate is one vote away from a deal that would make New York the sixth state in the country to approve gay marriage.<\/p>\n
This morning’s newspapers offer sort of the two faces of what this debate is about.\u00a0 The one side looks and sounds like a reasoned debate among civilized people.\u00a0 This from the AP via the Adirondack Daily Enterprise<\/a>.<\/p>\n Will the Knights of Columbus be required to open their halls for gay weddings if New York lawmakers legalize same-sex marriage?<\/p>\n Will Catholic adoption agencies be forced to choose between placing children with gay couples or leaving the business?<\/p>\n As New York moves closer to a vote on legislation that would make it the sixth and largest state to allow same-sex marriage, some Republicans want stronger legal protections for religious organizations that object to the practice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That, I think, is a pretty reasonable conversation to be having, especially in a state like New York where religious institutions — from hospitals to drug treatment centers to job programs — are often run by religious groups.<\/p>\n What happens when a gay couple wants services from such an organization?\u00a0 And what happens if that organization is using taxpayer funds?\u00a0 Can they still choose not to serve gays or lesbians?<\/p>\n (I actually think this part of the discussion needs to be broadened.\u00a0 What happens if a taxpayer-funded religious group chooses, based on their beliefs, to deny serve to anyone, on grounds of race or religion or sexual orientation?)<\/p>\n As always, it’s a bit dodgy that Albany has left these questions until the last minute, but that’s the way things work in New York state.<\/p>\n