They Say It's The Same, But It's Not The Same

New York City is taking the marriage-lite routine to the next step and offering LGBT couples something they call marriage-like.

Yeah. No.

After 17 years of registering domestic partners, the city will soon offer marriage-like ceremonies to couples at City Hall; just like they've done to straight couples for years. Only, for the LGBT couples the ceremony is worthless.

It.Isn't.Marriage.

It's like marriage but without the 1138 benefits and privileges that straight couples are allowed.

Now, it is nice. It's nice to give the gay couple a sweet memory of a sort-of-marriage ceremony. But how long does that euphoria last? Long enough to get out of City Hall and realize it was just a show, all pomp, with no circumstance.

City Clerk Michael McSweeney said , "We thought it was a good idea."

Bob in Smallville says, "Um, no. It's saying you can register as domestic partners and we'll put on a little show to pretend you're getting married, but hit the curb in NYC and you're just another couple with a domestic partnership form and no legal rights."

I'm a broken record on this.

I don't want marriage-lite.

I don't want marriage-like.

I want marriage.

And nothing else will do.