I wish to respond to the letter that you ran last week that addresses gay marriage. I am not disputing the numbers the author presented, but I do want to address the why.

My partner and I did take advantage of the Delaware law that permits civil marriage for gay couples in Delaware only because she is an employee of the State of Delaware. (We have been a couple for 25 years.) This then allows the civil partner to be covered on the state health insurance policy of the partner who is a Delaware employee.

I can attest that the gay population in Delaware is interested in gay marriage, but civil marriage offers nothing to gay couples unless at least one of them works for the State of Delaware.

Several of my friends only saw it as a “registration” of their sexual orientation and it offers no advantages to them to engage in a civil ceremony.

So, we still need gay marriage that will offer the same opportunities that straight marriage offers to the participating partners. If the federal law is ever modified to include gay marriage, then we will have equality.

Sandra Snowberger
Lewes