LETTER: Same-sex marriage protected by law

To the editor:

When Gov. Lee Dreyfus signed the Wisconsin Anti-Discrimination Law, he was asked if that included same-sex marriage. He said, “yes,” and viewed marriage as a function of the state or civil authority. A civil marriage is a contractual union which can be dissolved when either party wishes.

Former Gov. Dreyfus said the state should provide the same rights to same-sex households with the same legal benefits and responsibilities as a male-female household. There are some who are concerned if there is any sexual activity involved; to which, he said, we should never let the state regulate such personal and private behavior. He believed that there is clearly a difference between state-approved marriage and religious or church marriage, called holy matrimony.

The joining of man and woman is considered a sacrament in some churches, and some churches may have a religious preference to not perform same-sex marriages, but that is a faith-based, private matter and clearly does not eliminate contractual right of same-sex couples to engage in a civil contract or state-approved marriage.

Herbert J. Grover, Gresham