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Civil Marriage Equality
We must value all families. Families are people living together and committed to care for one and other. It is in society's interest that family members be able to care for one and other. However, the exclusion of gay couples from legally recognized civil marriage and the rights and responsibilities it involves represents an effective obstacle towards their being able to care for one and other. It is therefore in society's interest to remove this obstacle. I favor establishing a "marriage equivalence test" as part of the tax code to allow couples currently excluded from the institution of civil marriage by their states to be treated the same as legally married couples for purposes of federal taxation and federal programs. Religious institutions should continue to decide for themselves to whom they choose to offer the sacrament of marriage.
