New York may soon be counted among the few states that offer marriage equality to gay and lesbian couples, depending on the outcome of a bill introduced last week. The bill has been championed by Governor Paterson, who rightly aligned the outlawing of gay marriage with historical examples of discrimination. It is undeniable that we can no more justify a separate-but-equal solution for same-sex couples today than we could for the segregation of blacks 50 years ago.

Paterson’s decision to push this bill forward despite an as-yet unclear resolution is laudable. While many politicians are happy to sit back and let other states, like Iowa and Vermont, take the lead in breaking new legal ground for gay rights, Paterson has shown that he is willing to risk popularity in order to throw his gubernatorial heft behind a bill meant to improve the quality of life for his constituents sooner rather than later.

There is currently a campaign in effect that aims to legalize gay marriage throughout New England by 2012. It is doubtless that the outcome of the New York Senate’s decision will have a huge impact on this movement. Such campaigns illustrate the momentum the gay marriage movement is gaining, and the eventual outcome of marriage equality becomes more inevitable by the day. Defeating this bill will serve merely as a temporary set-back to gay rights, but one that will surely have a detrimental effect on the perception of the New York state government and its policies.

Opponents of the bill contend that same-sex partners are eligible for similar rights and benefits as heterosexual couples, rendering it irrelevant. And yet same-sex couples are still prohibited certain legal benefits when they are denied marriage, a reality that we face even on this campus.

Traditionally, Cornell’s policies toward employees in same-sex couples has been admirable, allowing health and other benefits apply as they would for married couples. But the law leaves the University’s hands tied to a certain extent. For example, Cornell must comply with rules requiring same-sex couples to be taxed differently than legally married couples, regardless of the administration’s views.

Additionally, the University is not allowed to recognize gay marriages performed in other states when considering employee benefits. Thus the “wait and see” approach of letting other state governments serve as the testing grounds for this legislation is actively harmful to same-sex couples in our own community.

Hopefully the coming months will bear out the necessity for marriage equality in New York. One thing is certain — when that time does come, institutions like Cornell will be needed as a template for new policies throughout the state. With this in mind, it is our hope that the University goes beyond merely continuing its policy of equality, and does everything in its power to support the bill proposed by Governor Paterson. To do so is in keeping not only with the current needs of Cornell, but also the lessons our collective history has taught us about the importance of civil rights.