PLATTSBURGH — Brian Murphy recently left a pair of shoes with Sen. Joseph Bruno’s staff, asking the New York representative to walk a mile in his shoes.

The California man was one of 32 young adults who fanned out across New York to meet with residents and legislators in support of the New York State Equality of Marriage Act and the right for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender New Yorkers to marry.

“There’s such a need for this,” Murphy said when eight members of Soulforce Q, a national interfaith organization, stopped in Plattsburgh during their two-week Right to Marry Campaign across the state.

“Marriage is a right that should be protected for everyone.”

RIGHTS VIOLATION

Murphy, who plans to move to New York City, says that withholding the right to marry violates gay residents’ civil rights, as he says similar laws did to both slaves and interracial couples at times in history.

“It seems shocking now, but it was only about 40 years ago that interracial couples were allowed to marry,” said Katie Higgins, the director of operations for the young-adult group.

“I hope that some day we will look back on this and be just as shocked.”

For the non-violent activist group, not permitting gays and lesbians to marry is a breach of rights that denies them access to numerous benefits, such as insurance and health-care options, that are guaranteed to straight married couples.

RELIGIOUS VIEW

Though many opponents of the proposed legislation cite religious objections to the bill, Soulforce Q says that is not a reason to dismiss the civil right to marry since private religious beliefs should not impact the law-making process.

“We’re taking this as another civil-rights movement; it has nothing to do with religion. We want to get that dialogue going, but it’s a civil-rights issue we’re talking about,” Higgins said.

They say that many same-sex couples share the same long, loving relationships as married couples but are denied access to the everyday benefits that are guaranteed through marriage, such as hospital visitation and Social Security entitlements.